


Chronicles

by Zafona



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 69 (Sex Position), Action/Adventure, Adventure, Alternate Reality, Alternate Religion, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Western, Anal Fingering, Anal Play, Anal Sex, Angel Dean, Angel Training, Angst, Beaches, Best Friends, Blow Jobs, Bromance, Child Abuse, Choking, Chronicles, Competition, Complete, Contest, Cowboy Castiel, Cowboy Dean, Cowboy Jet, Cowboy Sam, Cowboys, Crushes, Dancing, Day At The Beach, Descend the Shades of Night, Dimension Travel, Dom Castiel, Dom Dean, Dom Sam, Drama, Eat Your Vegetables, Embarrassment, End of the World, Epic, Epic Battles, Epic Bromance, Epic Friendship, Explicit Sexual Content, Facing Fears, Fake Character Death, Falling In Love, Fallout Supernatural, Family, Family Loss, Fatherhood, Fear, Fear of Flying, Final Battle, Flashbacks, Floor Sex, Fluff and Angst, Flying, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Funny, Grief/Mourning, Grieving, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Humor, Jar of hearts, Jet - Freeform, Love, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Neglect, Nightmares, Oral Sex, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Picnic, Plotty, Portals, Possession, Pretentious, Priest Castiel, Priest Dean, Priest!Cas, Priest!Dean, Priests, Protective Dean Winchester, Rescue, Romance, Rough Sex, Sacrifice, Saving the World, Sex, Sexual Content, Shower Sex, Sick Sam Winchester, Small Problem, Song Lyrics, Sub Castiel, Sub Dean, Time Travel, Tragedy, Trauma, Vacation, Violence, When The Man Comes Around, Wild West, World Domination, Zafona, back to the future - Freeform, childhood sweetheart, convenient plot device, epic journey, magical weapon, monster fighting, possessed!Jet, possessed!Sam, repeating tags, sand castles, sealed away, streaking, sun lotion, the ugly duckling, took one year to make this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-08 18:10:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 90
Words: 246,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zafona/pseuds/Zafona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A network of roads and inter-dimensional portals connects every reality known and unknown, and it's all about to be lost forever. Castiel, Dean, Sam, and Jet fight to make sense of an unravelling mess and keep the universe in one piece. It's a big job but it all has to start somewhere.<br/>Rated Explicit for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aeterna: 10 Year Anniversary

**Author's Note:**

> This is a long, plot-ridden story. It incorporates different dimensions, alternate realities, alternate timelines, and worlds, most of which exist in my writing and other fics. For example if you've read The Ugly Duckling, Jar of Hearts, or Angel Training, those story-worlds will be featured briefly as this all-encompassing storyline plays out. It is a work in-progress and so far there are 67 chapters written. I started writing it in February of 2012 and am still working on it.
> 
> Please enjoy, I'll update the tags as we go along.
> 
> This story has been up for a while and if you're reading it, please give it a comment and let me know what you think/thought. I really enjoyed writing it and I'd love to share it with you.

**Primary World: Part 1**

" _I know of lies by the truths I've been told, the biggest one's that we're not growing old." He sung to himself, fingers tapping the top of his bent knee slowly to a rhythm in his head. He was waiting for something. Waiting for the orders to be given, for the decision to be made. It wasn't something to be decided lightly, he needed council so he'd sought it. And now he waited._

_Eyes closed, ears open and listening for the faintest sound. It was hard to hear them sometimes._

" _You know your place, Castiel."_

_There it was, that voice that used to haunt him to the point of insanity._

" _Yes."_

" _You know what is about to happen."_

" _I do."_

" _Then go."_

_He tilted his head up to the sky to stare at the emptiness above, "Took you long enough to say so." He muttered quietly as he stood, humming a tune to himself._

* * *

  _-"It's not a sin if it don't make me cry."-_

* * *

"Dean! You comin'?" Sam shouted from the main floor, still fussing a little with his suit.

"I said give me a minute!" Dean called back, barely turning his head to do so, luckily he could scream with the best of them so he was certain Sam had heard.

"I'd like to remind you that was five minutes ago." Sam muttered loud enough to annoy.

Dean would normally bicker right back but it was a sensitive time, he'd prefer to not argue that day. It was an anniversary; an important one and he wanted everything to go right. He and Sam were on their way to meet Bobby, Rufus and a few others who had been close with John and Mary several years back. He ran his fingers over the wooden frame that held the last image taken of his parents, "I hope I've made you proud."

Suit jacket on, tie adjusted, Dean walked out of his room and down the hall to the top of the stairs, spotting Sam staring up at him from the bottom. His hair was getting long, Dean noted as he scanned the younger Winchester. "Mad at me?" Dean smirked sarcastically, trotting down to meet him.

"Terribly." Sam lightly punched his shoulder as he passed, the two sharing a silent look as they headed for the door.

This was the first year they decided to do anything major, it had been ten years since John and Mary Winchester disappeared and Dean wasn't going to let it just pass by unnoticed. Every year he and Sam had gone to the cemetery where empty coffins had been buried, flowers in hand and something new to say on their tongues. Today Dean intended to have everyone in on it, to honour his parents and give them a little something back. It was the least he could do for never finding them.

Sam shifted in his seat when they'd stopped in front of the usual flower shop, ready to go in just as Dean caught his arm. The younger Winchester froze and glanced over at his brother, his face said enough that he didn't have to ask 'what do you want?' "Can you get mine too?" Dean nearly had trouble spitting out the words but Sam was unusually cooperative on that day of the year. Dean knew he could ask for just about anything and receive it without Sam's usual snarky-ness.

"Sure thing." His brother answered as he stepped out, knowing exactly what Dean chose every year without having to double check.

Dean smiled to himself and looked out the window, watching the clouds as they shifted by, wondering what his parents were doing now. Of course, he wasn't even entirely sure he believed they existed eternally but it gave him comfort to allow that little bit of faith. His fingers drummed along the steering wheel as Jason Cross' 'Drink the Water' ended, considering that maybe this was the last time he let Sam pick the station ever.

" _Now for the traffic report; there seems to be another underground cave in of some sort, the roads have sunk down a good two feet on the entire west side of town. Added to yesterday's half a foot in the north end it looks like something needs to get fixed down there-"_

Dean shut the radio off; last thing he wanted to hear about was road conditions of any kind. It was a sunny day and perfect to spend outside in celebration of life. Or at least that's what he told himself. As he glanced around the block to pass the few minutes it was taking Sam to get their flowers, he found that the streets were busier than usual. He figured it was due to what he'd just heard on the radio; those streets were probably closed off now. It didn't get in their way but it was annoying.

As he looked he noticed a man in the flock of people just off the sidewalk across the road. There wasn't anything special about him, nothing that should have drawn Dean's eye to him, but here he was, looking. The dark haired individual was motionless in the crowd; he was perched, sitting on the base of the town's commemorative statue. One foot up and resting at the same level he sat, lifting his long coat to outline the frame of his hips. Dean marveled at the design of what appeared to be combat boots, buckles and laces running halfway up his calf and leading into what looked like fairly tight pants. Dean narrowed his vision trying to see the material better though through the passing people and the distance between them it was all but impossible. He almost laughed at himself for it, too, squinting to see another man's fashion a little better. Except something was wrong, he felt strange and uncomfortable, like butterflies flocked in his stomach but put his organs out of order.

Dean's gaze shifted back toward the man's face and realized he was looking at him. Sharp eyes locked onto his and refused to look away; Dean found that he couldn't either. Something about it was unnerving and he felt his skin starting to crawl, the feeling was creeping through his veins and sending chills down his spine. He shuddered but didn't pull his gaze away, not until the door opened beside him and made him jump.

"I got 'em, let's go." Sam said nonchalantly as he hopped into the Impala, noticing that his brother looked a little spooked. "Dean? You okay?"

"Yeah," Dean ran his hand down his face, "I'm good, it's nothing." He glanced toward the statue again, expecting it to be like a horror movie and that the stranger would be right outside his window or possibly gone, vanished in the wind. But that wasn't the case; the man was still sitting there albeit no longer looking Dean's direction.

Sam furrowed his brow, peering out the window to see what Dean was looking at but not being able to see through the crowd. He wanted to ask but didn't push it any further than a soft understanding noise, if Dean wanted to keep whatever it was to himself then he'd let it go. Not that he didn't worry about it, flinching as Dean nearly floored it out of there. This wasn't exactly one of those days that sat comfortably on the shoulders.

* * *

  _-"He's not the devil 'less there's fire in his eyes."-_

* * *

"Boys!" Rufus called from the picnic table, "Glad you could finally make it."

"Yeah, yeah," Dean rolled his eyes, "We're a bit late, we know." He adjusted the lilies in his arms, white ones like he always brought. He didn't care what they stood for or what the meaning of them was, his mom always had them in the house and they reminded him of her. Sam usually varied, often a fan of the meanings of flowers and their colours. This year he had white carnations, supposedly they stood for remembrance though Dean wasn't sure how. Regardless, he didn't say anything about his brother's choice, he was glad that Sam put so much thought into it.

"Doesn't matter, you're here now." Bobby smiled and approached them, hugging Dean first; the man's strong arms a welcome feeling. Dean closed his eyes briefly as he squeezed his suedo dad back, holding onto tears that wanted to wash out with the rush of emotions. The discomfort from earlier fading, whatever it had been that came over him was a distant memory, nothing worth mentioning or remembering.

"Nice to see you, Bobby." Dean sighed as they leaned back, patting one another on the shoulder in the manliest way they could. No need for those silly mushy feelings, not if they wanted to keep up their personas of 'men'.

The older man only smiled and went to give Sam the same affections and then some; he squeezed the younger Winchester and ruffled his hair. Quiet apologies were exchanged but Sam brushed it off easily as he always did. The usual 'I'm sorry' for not being able to help financially didn't mean anything. Sam and Dean both knew that everyone in the world had their own problems and paying to get other people through life wasn't possible in this day and age. The boys would much prefer Bobby keep his money, take care of himself so they could go see him in a healthy state.

Deciding not to watch the little tearful reunions between Sam and Bobby, Dean moved to greet the others present. It was nice to see Harvelle's again and it'd been a while since he'd spoken to Rufus. Not that that was a bad thing, people could usually only take so much of the guy at a time.

"How's it going?" Jo approached with an all too familiar expression on her face, that sad look partially hidden behind an attempt at a smile. It used to bug him but now not so much. He only got that look on a few days of the year and this one was the only one that was consistent. "Not like you guys to be late for something like this."

"It's exactly like us." Dean smirked and hugged her, keeping it friendly knowing that Ellen was watching. "Sam took his time in the flower shop as usual."

"Dean took his time primping as usual." Sam called over unceremoniously, ruining Dean's composure good and proper.

"You suck, Sammy."

"Right back at'cha."

"Alright girls, settle." Ellen chuckled and motioned toward the picnic table, "Come on, food's waitin'."

That was all it took to gather them, if you couldn't enjoy a meal in remembrance of a loved one then what could you enjoy? Dean stuck close to Sam's side, appreciating the presence of the others as they settled; it was nice not being alone in the graveyard for once. Their usual tradition hadn't exactly been the most comforting thing, this was a nice change.

The weather was bright, dinner was delicious and the conversation wasn't evasive. Dean was surprised to hear everyone talk about John and Mary; it sometimes felt like a weird little secret, that they weren't allowed to talk about them ever again. He smiled, the immediate uneasiness dwindling and soon dissipating altogether. It was comfortable to talk about them, tell their stories, remind each other that John and Mary were people, beautiful people who had lived and deserved to be mentioned.

"I remember dad used to tell me 'man up, Sammy.'" Sam laughed and shook his head; Dean could see the slight glisten in his brother's eyes and prayed that those weren't tears. "I think I heard it at least once a day, though I can't really blame him for it. I cried at everything, I'd probably tell me the same thing."

Ellen chuckled and nodded, "I remember that, Dean could do just about anything and you'd go runnin' to your mom like it was the end of the world."

Sam's smile remained, possibly even broadening as the memories skipped across his vision like a movie, "Yeah, like when he'd break my toys or hide in my closet and jump out at me-"

"Or eat your candy bar." Dean added with a smirk, "You particularly hated it when I took your food."

Bobby nodded, the look on his face said enough to let on his amusement though he tried his hardest to remain crotchety, "My favourites were the name calling contests," he glanced up at Dean with a smile in his eyes, "The look on your face when Sam would call you fat was priceless."

"He kept taking my food, what else was I supposed to call him?" The younger Winchester piped in, getting another punch in the shoulder for it. "But really, I think my favourite moment with my dad was when I tried to prove to him I had manned up. I did so many stupid things and nearly got myself killed- how many times?"

"I think four," Dean nodded, "You kept copying him, including trying to drive the car."

"Yeah, I think that's the one that got him." Sam cracked up but the wetness of his eyes hadn't faded at all, "I'd taken the keys from the rack, pushed a chair against the wall so I could reach them, and hopped in the car just like dad did every morning. I put the key in and actually started the car-"

Dean scoffed, "After turning the key all the way for like a minute straight, trying to ruin the poor thing."

Sam offered a 'shut up Dean' look without saying it and turned his attention back to the others, "I'm not sure what happened next exactly but I managed to get the car into reverse and it started to move backward, right into the street. I was too short to reach the pedals but I was moving, I was a man going to work like dad always did." He smiled and tried to hold back a laugh, "I look up at the house and see dad in the window and he's just got this face, like shock and horror mixed with disbelief." He paused to try and mimic it though laughter ruined his muscle control. Despite the fact that Dean got to see it more than the others he seemed to enjoy the sight more than anyone else present, he loved that smile. "I'm just waving, all smiles. He runs out in his bathrobe and throws the doors open, shoves me over and drives us back up to the house. I thought he was going to be furious with me but he wasn't. He turns the car off and just grabs me and hugs me; this is the fourth near death experience so he was a little shaken up I imagine." Sam paused and smiled down at his hands fidgeting on the table, "He squeezed me and it hurt a little, but he told me 'Sammy, you're perfect the way you are.' He never said he understood why I was doing all those things, we didn't talk about it ever, but we didn't need to."

Dean reached over and squeezed Sam's shoulder, not missing the subtle way the other's voice cracked. He didn't have anything specific or helpful to say, but everyone else was eager to continue the conversations and ease the pressure from Sam.

All in all it was a successful day, Sam wasn't the only one to share stories and though everyone was overly emotional it really was one of the best days Dean had had in months. They packed up the picnic and helped each other with re-loading their vehicles, all discomfort had vanished among them and it was the first anniversary in ten years that Dean and Sam hadn't returned home in a morbid mood.

Traffic was slow but they weren't in a hurry to get home, Dean drummed his fingers along the steering wheel humming to himself as Sam rested in the seat beside him. Everything was going well, Sam was back in school, his health had increased and Dean's mechanic work was still going strong. Nothing to complain about, nothing to worry about, things were good.

But that didn't mean he was always happy with how things were.

* * *

 

_-"It ain't the ghost if it don't speak in tongue."-_

* * *

" _How long will it take?" He asked angrily, "It's been days already. Did you send me to the wrong place again?"_

" _Patience, Castiel." Their reply was as gentle as ever, and vague as hell._

" _That doesn't answer my question."_

" _You will see why we've sent you early, there's something you need to see."_

" _Something I need to see? I've seen everything I need to over the span of the last few centuries. What more could there possibly be?"_

" _Your partner."_

_He fell silent as he thought over the next best thing to say. "Bullshit." He muttered._

* * *

_The next day…_

"The strangest things have happened all week and it's asked that everyone stay indoors after 10pm. That's all for the eight o'clock news, have a good night-"

Sam furrowed his brow, eyes fixed on the television in front of him as the news played out its ending sequences. Missing persons reports scattered all over the place, the town's road conditions had gotten worse, the town would rather put money into a new bar than the schools, and it looked like the locally favoured football team was losing. Sam wasn't sure what bugged him more; probably the bit about the schools but the missing people was off putting.

"Heading out," Dean's voice echoed from the doorway, his older brother's usual gimmick to make sure Sam couldn't get him to do anything before leaving the house.

But Sam was quicker, "Dean, wait." He smirked to himself when he heard the sigh from what must be an almost closed door.

"What, Sammy?"

"Be careful, 'kay?"

Normally he'd just leave with a somewhat disgruntled 'of course, Sam' but there was a tone that Sam took when he was serious. It wasn't very obvious; in fact someone had to know him for an awfully long time to be able to differentiate between his tones. Dean walked back inside and over to the living room, a curious eyebrow risen for the younger Winchester, "You watching the news again?" He figured that had to have something to do with it.

Sam made a face but glanced back at the TV, "Things seem weird lately, that's all."

Dean would have pointed out that it was only the day after their parents' death anniversary, of course things seemed weird, but that was the same reason he didn't say anything. "Don't worry so much, it'll be fine."

Sam smiled a little and nodded, he was probably just being paranoid. "Alright, have fun."

"Will do." And with that Dean left. Jacket adjusted, the leather one he knew he looked good in, jeans loose-fitting but tight in all the right places, and hair styled immaculately; Dean was ready for the bar. Why spend the entire week miserable and upset? He needed a pick-me-up and why not go to the bar with his best friend and wing-man? He saw no reason not to. He was most of the way there, passing by the flower shop as he went. Dean found himself staring into the darkened window at the gorgeous bouquets and arrangements, finding it to have something of a calming effect. As much as the other day brought his mind to a certain level of peace he couldn't quite retain it, something in him was stirring and he blamed it on this time of the year.

"Hey man," the familiar voice of his pal rung in his ears in a way that he dared admit was therapeutic. Just something about being 'with the guys' built up the usual persona a lot better than time alone with his little brother and family-friends could ever do. It gave him a sense of 'man-up' as Sam had explained the other day, something that kept him in check. He didn't need to be in touch with his feelings all the time, he didn't need the sympathetic look of the others, he needed a friend to laugh with him and punch him in the shoulder as a show of affection.

And that's where Jet came in. "Hey," Dean waved at the brunette as he approached, both men grinning in a way only guys on their way to a pub ever would.

"How was yesterday?" Jet asked as their fists connected, an action that kind of hurt but that's the way fist-bumps were supposed to work.

"It went pretty well," Dean shrugged and turned away, his attention back on the flower shop window. He didn't want to think about the reason for the picnic, about his parents, about their disappearance. So he looked at the flowers, finding his relaxation point again. But something didn't look right, something in the reflection was off putting and he didn't know why. Dean focused on the window and the reflections in it, and because he did he completely missed whatever Jet said next because he saw an image that struck his core like ice. Sitting in the same place as he'd been yesterday, the dark-haired man was watching again. Cold eyes fixed on him, burning into him as if they couldn't see anything else.

"Dude?" Jet nudged his shoulder, "You okay?"

Dean snapped his gaze away and back to his friend, "Yeah, yeah I'm good." The urge to look across the street nagged at him, but he refused to.

Jet raised an eyebrow and looked at the flower shop window, knowing full well that this was the place the Winchester brothers bought their memorial bouquets. His face scrunched a little in worry but he knew better than to voice it, there was a reason he and Dean were going out and he wasn't going to let the man down. "Come on, let's get going."

"Definitely." Dean started down the sidewalk again, they were only a few blocks away and he couldn't wait to get his throat burning.

"Didn't feel like driving tonight?" Jet asked as his steps fell in line with Dean's, hands shoved into the pockets of his sweater.

"My plan was to get wasted and driving doesn't fit in very well with that plan."

"Fair enough."

Dean smirked at his friend before daring to glance over his shoulder, back toward the commemorative statue and the stranger. Still there but no longer looking his way. Jet followed his gaze and furrowed his brow, shuddering slightly he turned away again. "That freak's been there all week."

"What?" Dean snapped his attention on Jet, the taller male nodding briskly.

"Yeah, every time I walk past here he's there, just sitting. I don't think he's a beggar, he doesn't have anything to collect money in." He shrugged, "But whatever, if he wants to sit then let him sit."

' _All week?'_  Dean's thoughts were starting to sound unnerved in his own head. But then again that was good news, wasn't it? It meant he hadn't noticed for an entire week until just the other day, that his nervous behavior was only the result of his parents' anniversary picnic. In a way, it was more comforting. "Definitely weird."

Jet nodded in agreement but left it at that. Why continue to worry about it? They had an evening of fun to get to.

The stranger looked over again, tilting his head back as he watched them walk away. He caught a grin before it consumed his face when the bowlegged one turned to look one more time. It was nice to see he was making an impression.

* * *

  _-"It's not a victory until the battle's been won."-_

* * *

It didn't stop there. Over the next few days Dean found himself on the same route through town, the roads were ruined and all traffic was being redirected. This route wasn't one he normally took but seemed to be the common one since half a week again; always driving past the flower shop and the town's statue. Along with the normal scenery there was always the same man, dark clothes, dark hair, bright blue eyes, always staring. The first moment of eye contact was the worst of it but Dean couldn't help himself every time, he'd look and they'd lock for the few moments it took for the light to change colours. After he'd look away and back again the stranger was no longer watching him, like it was a game of some sort.

Every day. Same routine at that stop light, he'd look, they'd both stare, he'd look away and back again, the stranger would have turned his gaze away already and that'd be it. Dean started to wonder if the man was real but reminded himself that Jet had seen him too. So then what was his deal?

As much as Dean wanted to ask he always seemed to find an excuse to not stop and approach the stranger. He needed to get gas before work, didn't have time, he was tired, work was long, Sam had already ordered pizza, etc. And though the list was short he still had more lined up for the next times he'd ask himself to stop. He was comfortable enough with how things were playing out and this strange little routine; it didn't need to be any different.

So when it changed he felt anxious. The stranger wasn't there that morning, his spot on the statue empty aside from a pigeon or two. Dean stared for a moment and the first thought that came to mind was  _'Where the fuck did he go?'_  The idea that this unnerving man was on the move and could literally be anywhere was upsetting at the very least. Dean didn't have a clue if the guy had ever left the statue, or had a home. He hadn't been close enough to the man to know what he really looked like, and while that was still a cause for alarm he knew that the stranger wouldn't know what he looked like either, so there was some comfort in that. Whatever was going on, he couldn't sit and focus on it he had work to get to.

What did it matter that the stranger was missing? It was no skin off his teeth. If this guy was out and about then good, maybe he went to get a job or something. Stop living on the statue. Dean decided not to worry about it anymore, pulling up to work in his usual parking spot. At least no one had taken it this time.

"Winchester!"

The shout startled him from his thoughts, making him jump as he climbed out of his car. "What?" He snapped, turning toward his co-worker with a bit of frustration.

"For one you're almost late, and two we have a ton of work to get through so get your butt moving."

Dean rolled his eyes but continued on toward the rest of his day, knowing that there'd be something keeping him on edge for the entirety of it. He'd told himself not to think about it but he couldn't help it. Where could that guy have gone? Did it matter? Was he important enough to remember? Dean wouldn't forget the image of the guy perched in the same position on the same spot for days on end. Did he ever move? Did he eat? Maybe he'd died while sitting there and someone cleaned up his body, maybe it was all over and done with and he'd never have to deal with it again.

But when did anything ever play out that way? Really?

The end of the day came and went and still he was working. The roads had gotten so bad out there that people wound up in the shop more often than not, in a small town that meant big business. Dean figured that if Jet weren't working alongside him he'd go insane. The guy had something about him that made the situation a little funnier, even if it was possibly the worst-case scenario. Dean watched him with a smile, his best friend's antics easing the pain of a 12-hour day at work.

"Dude," Jet dropped down next to him on the workbench and leaned back against the wall, neither willing to admit that their limbs were so heavy they couldn't stand anymore. Just taking a break. "I think it's time to go home."

Dean scoffed and leaned back as well, closing his eyes and relaxing a bit. "I think so." He ran a dirty hand down his face, wiping away the sweat of the day. "I think I've had enough." He didn't have to look over to know that Jet was nodding in agreement; the man's silence was enough.

"How's Sam?"

The question was a surprise but not unwelcomed, "He's good," a smile spread Dean's lips as he thought about it. Sam had been sick for a while; the past year had been a mess of doctor visits and stay-home in bed days. He'd gotten many treatments along the way, some made it much worse and others made it better or at least better than the result of the previous medications. Dean had nearly pulled his hair out trying to pay for the bills because he would have preferred to stay home and take care of his brother. He'd been there when it counted and that's all he could hope for at the time.

"He's back at school and everything?" Jet glanced over, not missing the expression on his friend's face.

"Yeah, he's a lot better, the University was willing to bring him back on his free-ride and everything. It was a nice change of pace." Dean sighed as he tried to relax his muscles, the pain throbbing dully. It was a good kind of ache, the kind that you knew you'd benefit from in the long run. A feeling to prove you'd done something productive during the day.

"Sounds like it's looking up for you guys." Jet grinned and stood up, about to head out when he paused and glanced back, "By the way I was asking around, and a few of the guys agreed to help me out with something."

Dean looked up curiously, his eyelids feeling like lead weights already. "With what now?"

"Well you already know it ate me alive to watch you try and take care of Sam on your own-"

"Dude, I know you had a lot of work to do on your end. You took every shift and project I asked you to take and even more that that." Dean stood and smiled at his friend, "Don't worry about it."

Jet returned the smile, this time without his usual smugness. "I know you've barely been able to pay for half of Sam's treatments and medication, so here." He stuck his arm out, an envelope in hand.

Dean stared at it and shook his head, "No, I can't take your-"

"Damn it, man! Just take it!" Jet forcefully grabbed Dean's forearm and pulled his hand over to shove the envelope into it. "This should take care of the rest of it."

"I…" Dean was speechless as his fingers curled around the gift, heart thumping erratically in his chest. "I don't know what to say."

"Thanks?" Jet offered before slapping his friend on the back, "Go on, I'll see you tomor-" He was cut off when Dean practically jumped on him in a hug and bounded out the door. "-row…. Okay then." Jet finished with a laugh, "Run, Forrest! Run!"

"Shut up!" Dean's reply was distant but still made their co-workers snort.

* * *

  _-"And all God's people said amen."-_


	2. Aeterna: Castiel

**Primary World: Part 2**

* * *

 

_-"Don't you worry, don't you worry child."-_

* * *

_The morning light warmed the room; he could feel it in his sheets as he rolled over, scrunching up into a tighter ball before stretching out and taking up as much space as possible. His arm bumped his partner in the final process of waking before opening his eyes, he felt the heat of the other shift and rock the bed gently. A rough, sleepy voice greeted him; "Morning," Followed by a sweet little kiss on his cheek._

_Castiel refused to open his eyes until he was facing his lover, a bit of effort put into moving his eyelids and coaxing them to flutter open for him. "Morning," he replied softly, sliding up the silk-like sheets and returning the kiss to his partner's lips. He liked the smooth feel of them though morning breath wasn't always that pleasant._

_Green eyes, short brown hair, face spotted with freckles; that was the image that Castiel wanted to wake up to. He felt blessed to have met the love of his life, and to have been accepted by this blessing was even more than he thought he ever deserved. "Breakfast?" Dean asked whimsically, that beautiful smile dragging Castiel's from its slumber._

" _Only if you help me make it." The other replied, slowly lifting himself from the bed._

_Morning routines were simple, go out, get the glass jar of milk left for them and the newspaper, prepare breakfast and sit down together. It was quiet, peaceful, and Castiel never thought to ask for more. In fact he never did, not even when Dean proclaimed he didn't believe in God, when he renounced the town's faith and left the church. Castiel didn't care, never asked why, never demanded Dean take it back, because whatever his partner believed didn't change who he was as a person. The faith always claimed that once you die you would go to one of three places, Heaven if you believed and were a soulful man; Hell for those who believed but chose to be evil; and the Void for the ones who had no faith._

_Castiel's heaven, his eternal paradise, would always include Dean; so if the faith was true in any way, he'd get to be with his lover no matter what. So why fight about it? Why put that kind of stress in life when he truly believed that when he died he would be happy for the rest of eternity? Instead he lived life the way he believed to be best; if the faith was true then there was nothing to worry about; if it was false he'd ruin his life with Dean by nit-picking._

_The faith was wrong._

_That morning was supposed to be routine, get the milk and paper, make breakfast, and eat it together. It wasn't. Castiel started in the kitchen, robed in thin cloth to cover his naked form but that was all. It was late summer and the heat of the season was still upon them, he didn't need anything thicker than that. At least he hadn't thought so until a chill ran through him. Castiel wasn't particularly superstitious but he could feel something was off._

" _Dean?" He called anxiously, peering out of the kitchen. Dean didn't normally take this long, did he? "Baby? You coming?"_

_There was no answer from the front door._

' _It's okay.' He thought to himself as he walked over to the entrance, swallowing thickly as he tried to calm down. 'It's nothing; you're just being paranoid. What could possibly happen?'_

_He ignored that the door was left partially open, ignored the broken milk bottle and mess all around his feet because there was no way this was really happening. "Dean…" he whispered as his heart shuddered painfully, his gaze fixed on the wide eyes of his lover. Dean was hanging mid-air, horizontal so that his back was aimed toward the ground, head hung back, eyes open and vacant. Castiel shakily stepped forward; he couldn't see anything around Dean, nothing that would explain this. Maybe he was hallucinating; there was no way Dean could be floating like that._

_And Castiel wasn't wrong, Dean couldn't have been floating and he wasn't. As Castiel stepped closer he saw the air around Dean shiver like a heat wave, the images beyond it distorted hideously. He didn't know why he didn't stop or go back inside, he kept walking until he reached his partner, hand held out to touch his face._

_A low rumble snapped him back to reality, his mental lapse vanishing and shattering the fantasy that maybe things would be okay. Castiel never managed to touch his lover's face like he'd meant to, an invisible arm swung out and before he knew it the world was spinning all around him. The ground was more than happy to welcome him again, disorienting his already frazzled mind to a point of delirium for a few seconds. He thought he could see Dean's body convulsing, the wavy air forcing its way inside._

_But that couldn't be right, could it? He couldn't make sense of it all, limbs feeling weak as he pushed himself up, not caring that grass had stuck to his face and hair. "Dean?" His voice was cracking, he sounded hoarse to his own ears. "Are you okay?" Stupid question. He knew it but it was just one of those things that you asked. 'Please, God.' Castiel prayed silently, his bottom lip starting to quiver and his eyes stung hot with tears, 'Please don't let this happen to him. Please save him. Please. Please!' His pleading only repeated itself in his mind as he shuffled backward on the lawn._

_Dean's convulsions stopped suddenly and he dropped like a stone, head cracking on their driveway on impact. Castiel froze, thinking maybe has prayer had been heard, "Dean?" He stood and started to shuffle across the yard again, stumbling as he went; he was far more shaken up than he'd realized. "Baby!?" It came out as more of a desperate cry the longer it took Dean to move, but that didn't last long._

_Castiel reached Dean's side the same moment he started to sit up, an inhumanly strong arm snapping up to catch his throat. Castiel croaked and struggled pathetically in his lover's grip, hands grasping at flesh, flailing and beating on anything they could reach. "…De…an…" He wheezed, tears making trails down his face as his eyes fluttered closed._

" _Cas…" Dean groaned the name out like he was straining to speak, eyes gaining some kind of recognition before he dropped the dark haired man to the ground again._

_The noises coming from Castiel as he tried to regain his breath were far from healthy, he couldn't move properly and instead of standing he wound up on his side with his hands awkwardly touching at his throat. "Dean?" He choked, hacking for a few seconds before shifting to look up at the horrified expression on his lover's pale face. "Dean, what's going on?"_

"… _Run."_

" _What?" Castiel could barely hear it; the word was so softly spoken in a shudder that he couldn't be sure he'd heard it at all._

" _I said_ _ **RUN**_ _!" Dean's voice broken into multiple tones, eyes darkening and face twisting grotesquely. Castiel started scrambling backward again as his lover's body twitched and paled until there was no colour left in his skin at all. Dead eyes fixed on him then, but they weren't Dean's eyes. He wasn't in there._

" _What's going on?" Castiel repeated, trying to keep his head as hysterics threatened his senses. This thing, whatever it was, took a step, adjusted its pattern to accommodate for the body, and started walking toward the trembling man in the dirt. "Dean!" He cried helplessly, lifting his hands up in front of him in some kind of defence._

" _Castiel, wake up."_

_A voice? Whose voice? Blue eyes squeezed shut as he prepared for the monster in his partner's skin, thinking maybe he was dreaming. Why else would someone say wake up? Maybe he'd wake up in Dean's arms, sweaty and crying about a nightmare. Maybe Dean would run a hand through his hair and hush him with a kiss and a promise._

_But he was mistaken. The beast was on him, grabbing at his neck again, pressing into the already formed bruises. "Dean…" He sobbed between gasps, "Baby please…"_

" _Castiel!" The voice boomed in his ears again and this time he felt a rush of energy in his body, as if something was inside him. "Awaken."_

_He had no idea what it was talking about, all he knew was that he'd lost control of his limbs; they were moving on their own. Even his lips were moving in a way that wasn't his; though his voice came out he wasn't actually the one speaking. Some strange language he didn't understand, these words uttered from his lips weren't his. 'What's happening? Someone help me!' His mind panicked but no matter how hard he struggled he couldn't gain control. It was all happening so fast, he could see Dean's face screaming in pain, could feel his body lighting up in a fire that wasn't really there._

_And in a flash it was over. Dean's body, ruined and motionless, left at his feet, the presence in his own soul had vanished and now he was left cold with that voice in his head._

* * *

 

_-"See, Heaven's got a plan for you."-_

* * *

Castiel opened his eyes and shook his head. It'd been a while since he'd thought that far back. Though more importantly it'd been a while since he'd fallen asleep, maybe he needed to rest more often, passing out wasn't safe.

He was about to yawn when he felt the rumble in the street, a low and nearly unnoticeable moaning following it. "It's here." Castiel rose from the statue, lifting his head and looking down the street, ears burning to hear the groan again. It sounded as if the town's base was being squeezed, the very structural support whining in opposition. He'd been sitting there, waiting days -weeks even- for this. They'd sent him in early to observe his partner; Castiel had seen many people in the span of those weeks and only one of them had come by as often and as noticeable as Dean had.

Dean. At least that's what Castiel thought his name was, what he knew it to be. They looked the same, Dean and those other man. What were they thinking? How could this man be his partner, after all this time and after everything he'd been through? Castiel didn't understand and he didn't like it. But as he'd been told numerous times, he didn't have to like it, he just had to do what was necessary.

Like killing Dean.

He shut the memories out as he moved to find the monster threatening the city. After it'd been showing its presence for weeks on end, caving in the streets and snatching people out of thin air, it was finally here. No longer drifting in and out of the Void, in and out of reality, it was here and it was going to wreak some havoc if he didn't do something.

As far as Castiel saw it, if Dean was his partner he'd show up to the fight, it would happen around him in some way. Castiel wouldn't have to find Dean and drag him along, Dean would go willingly. And so he departed alone, the Void was open and he prayed that nothing high level crawled through.

* * *

 

_-"Don't you worry, don't you worry now."-_

 

* * *

 

_ _


	3. Aeterna: Midnight Stroll

**Primary World: Part 3**

It was late; Dean and Sam had spent the night celebrating their friends and the charity given to them. Sam had fallen asleep on the couch as they watched the Indiana Jones movies marathon style, his head lolled to one side and mouth open just enough to give the sense of cuteness. Dean wasn't buying it, or at least that's what he'd say if anyone asked him. Though he would have normally picked his little brother up and carried him to his bed, Dean knew better than to attempt to lift that mammoth of a man. Not that Sam had a lot of mass to him at that time, he was just very tall and Dean knew undoubtedly that he'd whack the poor guy's melon against a wall.

Drifting in and out of sleep Dean felt like he was swimming through his subconscious at times, feeling the waves of waking fading and ebbing away as he slipped into slumber. He could see a face, blurred and out of focus until it turned to look at him. Sharp blue eyes drew his attention in, he felt like he knew this face somehow, or that maybe he was supposed to.

" _Who are you?"_

" _~~-**##..."_

" _What?"_

_The rest of the face came into focus then, he couldn't understand or hear the words but he knew that face._

" _You're the guy from the statue-" Dean started but was shut up when his mouth was taken over by a kiss, soft lips pressing down on his in possibly the most passionate thing he'd ever experienced. Dean had been with many women but nothing even came close to this. He opened his eyes after realizing they had closed, wanting to ask about it, needing to get a name. But he stopped when he saw the look of pure terror on the other man's face. In a flash the stranger was laid out several feet away from him, eyes still fixed on his like he was about to commit a murder. Another flash and he felt a tension in his hand, Dean looked down to see himself strangling the man, those blue eyes closed and crying._

Dean flailed as he sat up, his head pounding and heart sounding like it was ready to burst out of his chest. "What the hell…" he panted, standing up and running a hand through his hair. "What the hell, what the hell…" He repeated the words as he went to put on his boots and wandered out the door to get some fresh air. He'd had weird dreams before but none so vivid and nothing about killing another person.

Sam hadn't said a word as his brother left, something told him not to ask even though any other time he would have. Dean didn't just run away like that, even after a bad dream. Normally he'd just go and get a drink or something, wouldn't he? Regardless, the situation made Sam a little uncomfortable. He sat contemplating for a few seconds before getting up and walking out the door to look, he wasn't surprised to see the Impala missing. Normally he'd just let it go but this seemed odd. Dean never acted this way and would always say something to him, even if it was just a little 'hey Sam I'll be right back' to his half-conscious self. But this time Dean just walked right out the door and drove off.

He considered just going back to bed, just lying down and closing his eyes again. But he knew himself well enough to know that it'd be impossible to sleep. Standing and staring outside he couldn't decide what to do but overall he couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling growing in him. It'd started a week before his parents' death anniversary picnic and he'd assumed it was because of exactly that, so he didn't think much of it. But it hadn't stopped after the gathering, it'd only gotten worse and now his skin felt like it was crawling. On top of that Dean was acting funny. Sam would be lying if he said he wasn't scared, his nerves were on fire and his brain seemed to jump at every little thing that moved or made a noise.

Things just felt off, like something was there, something evil. He could feel it, it felt wrong and like it meant to hurt them. He had brushed it off before because of how small and silly the whole thing seemed, but with more time passing he couldn't push the thoughts away, dark, painful thoughts. He felt better when Dean was around, there was just something about knowing that your big brother was there, the guy who'd do anything to help you and protect you. He felt safe with Dean. Without him nearby it felt like the shadows were going to crawl toward him, like he'd be dragged away.

When the phone rang he just about screamed. Shakily he picked it up and held it to his ear, thinking maybe it was Dean calling to tell him he'd be right back, just stepping out for something. "Dean?"

"No, it's Jet." The reply came in slowly as he tried to figure out what was going on. The tone in the younger Winchester's voice was off-putting and uncomfortable to say the least. He decided to go with something a little less demanding and asked carefully, "Sam, where's Dean?"

"I don't know," Sam exhaled slowly and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes to try and steady his mind. "He rushed out without saying a word."

The silence on the other end wasn't comforting but it didn't remain very long. "Did you want me to come over or look for him?"

Sam shook his head and was about to answer 'neither, it's fine' but the ground beneath his feet felt like it was starting to tremble. "Come over." His fear answered for him, forming dryness in his throat as he tried to swallow past it. "Please."

"Be right there, kiddo." Jet's presence clicked out as he hung up, leaving Sam alone again. He told himself repeatedly that it was nothing, that he was being ridiculous and over thinking things again. He continued to tell himself this as he felt the foundation rumble again, his heart racing the whole while he stumbled to the window to look outside. The sky that had been clear hours before was dark now, clouded over and there were even flashes of lightning cracking down. Normally he'd be okay with that, however this lightning seemed to be focused very close, as if it were only hitting within the town's limits.

"Dean…" He muttered anxiously, his hand coming up to rest over his heart in an attempt to slow it.

* * *

Dean had gone out to get some fresh air; he needed to drive off that horrible feeling and shake the nightmare from his head. Those hurt blue eyes staring at him haunting his retinas. That guy was gone, there was no point in thinking about him now, he thought anyway as he passed by the statue the stranger had been perched on. Dean looked over at it and shook his head again, stupid bad dreams.

He made the decision to turn back when lightning flashed, crashing into the statue with the thunderous roar one might expect to follow. Dean jumped at the suddenness, eyes large with shock as he stared at the now cracked stone. "Just… a coincidence." He murmured, his heart rate increasing drastically. "Not scary or foreboding at all. Nope." And that's what he told himself as he drove back home, at least until the ground broke open just off the street, fissuring behind his car. "Son of a  _bitch_!" Dean shouted, slamming on the breaks just in time to avoid being struck by something flying across the road.

It was too dark to see it properly and much too big to be a dog or even a moose. Dean sat still, hands clenched on the steering wheel and knuckles turning a little white. His brain argued with him for a few seconds but he decided to get the hell out of there while he had the chance.

* * *

Castiel skidded to a stop before the monster that had finally shown itself in weeks. "Took you long enough." He growled, shifting his stance to advance, eyes locked with the murderous gaze of the other. He hadn't expected it to be of the class that it was; the type of creature he stood before was often called a 'demoni' and usually didn't get much stronger than D class abilities. This one had evolved and twisted in ways that only the Void could provide, it'd travelled several dimensions and times to get here; Castiel could only imagine what it was capable of. God, he hated these things.

He reached behind himself, hand slipping up the back of his coat and into the fabric itself, within a pocket dimension in the tail end of his overcoat he drew his Pernach Mace and Wheellock Pistol. A combination weapon he'd altered to fire faster and smoother than it used to, a pistol longer than his forearm with a mace attachment at the end for bludgeoning if he needed it. "C'mere ugly," Castiel's tone reverberated with anger as he stepped closer, graceful steps over the debris of buildings the demoni had crashed into.

Hellish crimson eyes blinked at him, a wide mouth pulled back in a grin to show off the sharp carnivorous teeth it owned. The stand off lasted for a few seconds, enough time for Castiel to understand the thing's movements, get a feel for its spirit and analyze its type.

"Oh son of a bitch…" he muttered, his breath held as he stared a little more wide-eyed. His arms tensed and held a little tighter to the pistol in his possession. This thing was A class, meaning it had gained the abilities of the elite demonit, much more trouble than he'd originally anticipated.

Castiel slowly breathed out as the tension grew, both shifting but not moving drastically, gaining better footing but not taking a step, getting ready to act. Lightning lit up the sky and blasted into the earth all over the town, this demoni was a bit of a drama queen it seemed, it liked giving a flashy show as it destroyed and terrorized.

Amongst all the rumbling and noise, Castiel waited too long; the beast screeched and leapt forward at a blinding speed that the slayer wasn't prepared for, his gun only swung halfway to meeting the thing's backside. The mace bounced off its tough hide and did little to no damage, meanwhile the demoni had pounced him down, flat on his back in the street. He gasped for air as it was knocked free from his lungs, struggling to kick the thing off as it clawed at him. Each swipe would have torn into a regular person like butter, but Castiel's coat was made of something much stronger and much less human. However the scratches were starting to dig into his skin and the demoni was figuring out that its current tactics weren't working.

For a second Castiel thought maybe he'd lucked out and this A class hadn't learned any abilities yet, maybe he'd misread its level. Of course, nothing ever went that smoothly, especially for him. As another crack of thunder deafened him, Castiel found himself airborne, the demoni gripping his ankle and throwing him around like a child having a tantrum. He braced himself as best he could but didn't stand a chance until he'd manage to get away. Every time he opened his mouth to chant a spell or even tried to fight back, he felt the impact of his head connecting with an unforgiving surface. He'd dropped the gun, unable to keep a grip on it as he was swung around, though he did manage to watch it skid across the sidewalk and under a nearby car.

Things were getting fuzzy at the edges of his vision, the repetition of blows was starting to blur together and when he was flying through the air for an extended amount of time he almost didn't question it. Except he felt his ankle had lost the clawed pressure that had been digging into him. It had let go.

Despite the extra force behind the last impact Castiel scrambled to his feet immediately, all the while chanting an old spell he tended to save for big fights. His hands began to glow, he felt the heat surging from his palms and up his arms, it hurt but it was necessary.

"Ad ulciscendam deiecta, ego mitto vos retro. Ego ad Deum clamant. 'Da mihi fortitudo.' Contritio mea controlare. Ego mitto vos retro."

The beast roared as it bolted toward him, eating up the ground between them faster than Castiel could finish his preparations. There were safer ways to use this spell but he didn't have enough time. Instead of finding a way to block the on coming blast wave Castiel raised his hand to the demoni's chest as it descended onto him.

* * *

Dean screeched to a stop, once again narrowly avoiding something he couldn't identify. The block ahead of him was suddenly blasted apart when a ray of light shot across, obliterating everything in its path. "Holy shit…" Dean muttered, climbing out of the car and staring uselessly. What the hell was going on around here? He couldn't help but think as he hurried toward the disaster. If there were any people left out there they'd need his help.

"Hello?" He shouted, part of him wondering why he was doing this. He was the first on the scene, obviously. Anything he'd come across would be his responsibility, wouldn't it? "Is everyone okay?" Stupid question, he knew.

Dean looked one way down the destruction path and saw nothing moving, or anything really. Glancing down the other way he could see where the ray of light must have started, and a motionless body. At least he could discern that it was a body, if there were any on the other side he couldn't tell. "Hey! Buddy!" Dean called as he ran over, noting how smooth the path was aside from a bit of fallen debris. He knelt next to the man and gently tilted his head, trying not to jostle the stranger as he suddenly recognized him. "You're that…" He murmured, not bothering to finish the sentence as he looked the guy over for anything serious.

Castiel's arms had wounds running up from his palms, the skin had burst open like there had been too much pressure from the inside. His head a red, dripping mess from being hit too hard, a sight that had Dean worrying. He'd never really been into the 'hero' business; the idea of someone else's life being in his hands was far too rattling for him to want to worry about. He could take care of Sam and his closest friends, yes, but strangers? He couldn't just waltz in and do it like others could.

Now that this guy might live or die in his presence, Dean panicked. He lost majority of his brain function and couldn't think of a single thing to do. So what was the first thing he ever did before making a major decision? Ask Sammy.

Dean lifted the surprisingly light body into his arms and carried him back to the Impala. Had to ask Sam, Sam would know what to do.

 


	4. Aeterna: High Priest Castiel

**Primary World: Part 4**

The thunder had been shaking the house and startling Sam for the last hour, it had gotten so much worse for a few minutes and then suddenly stopped. Like it hadn't been there at all, or someone upstairs said 'oops, didn't mean to turn on the lightning over there' and flipped a switch. Regardless, it was too abrupt to be natural, like the switch was turned off halfway through a clap of thunder.

But that wasn't the worst of it, after it all quieted down for a few seconds and Sam managed to calm his nerves, he let the idea that maybe it was over drift through his head. The peace didn't last long, his body shuddered and he curled in on himself, a sense of panic rushing up to his mind. Sam gripped the couch and closed his eyes, he had no idea what was going on but everything felt like it was shaking and spinning. Jet had shown up half an hour ago, stuck by him and tried to calm him down though it wasn't working as well as Sam had hoped. He did feel better with someone there but that didn't stop the world from spinning. Whatever this was that he was feeling, he didn't like it. Extreme anxiety? He hadn't felt something like that since the days he'd been ill.

"Hey, you're okay." Jet rubbed his shoulder, "Just a crazy little storm, alright? Nothing to freak out over." He kept his voice gentle, soothing for Sam to lessen the stress. The kid never did know how to keep his nerves at bay; though Jet hadn't thought it'd ever been this bad.  _'Better make a note to mention this to Dean.'_  He decided with a quick little nod to himself.

Sam glanced out the window at where the lightning had been flashing; he still didn't know why it had stopped so suddenly or why a chill ran down his spine. But Jet was right; it was just a weird storm, like all the other weird happenings around town lately. "You think Dean's okay?" The thought nagged him and forced its way out of his mouth despite him wanting to keep a lid on it.

"I think he's fine, Dean's a tough guy and not as stupid as people think. He probably just waited out the lightning somewhere." Jet gave Sam's shoulder a few pats before he looked out the window, noticing a pair of headlights tearing up the driveway. "See? Speak of the devil, there he is."

"Dean." Sam pulled himself from the table and hurried to the door, he could hear Dean out there and from the sound of it he was in a hurry too. He heard the quick slam of the door, Dean's footfalls darting around the car, but not up to the front door where Sam was waiting for it to open. He furrowed his brow and impatiently opened it himself, revealing Dean lifting what he could discern as a body from the back seat of his car. "Dean!?" Sam wasn't sure if he was relieved his brother wasn't the one being hauled out in a bloody heap, or freaked out that his brother was doing exactly that with someone else. The chill from before was back, or it was just the cold night air nipping at his exposed skin. Regardless, a shiver ran down his spine and it was far from comfortable. "What the hell is going on? What did you do-"

"Wasn't me, Sam. I found him like this." Dean's tone was calm though his face betrayed every ounce of that. "I don't have a damn clue what to do with him."

"Dude." Jet was speechless, eyes glued to the pale face of the strange, the same face that creeped him out on his commute to work.

"Hospital would be one option! Why the hell did you bring him here?" Sam shouted in protest of the whole situation, all the while moving things off the couch and making a place for the stranger. Who he now took the time to notice was wrapped in a plastic tarp, "Got enough time to wrap him up at least."

"Sam!" Dean turned on his brother as soon as he'd put the man down, letting Jet take over and check his wounds, "I'm freaking out too, okay? Sarcasm isn't appreciated."

"Guys," Jet tried to interrupt as he lifted the tarp.

"Well  _excuse_ me!" Sam chittered right back, "I'm not the one bringing half dead people home and expecting it all to work out nicely. I think I'm entitled to a little sarcasm!"

"Guys."

"Exactly!" Dean chose to ignore Sam's usual entitlement, knowing that could open a whole other argument. "He's half dead and needs help! What was I supposed to do?!"

"GUYS!" Jet boomed over the both of them, finally getting their attention. "He's not half dead."

Both Winchesters paled a little, their gazes drifting over to the couch where they could see pale skin. "Oh god…" Sam covered his mouth slowly, eyes widening in shock. "He's… he's not…"

"Don't tell me he just died!?" Dean hadn't calmed down from his freaking out yet, voice strained and expression just as tight as before.

"No," The brunette shrugged and turned his gaze back to the couch, "I mean his wounds are just scars now."

And again, both Winchesters reacted simultaneously, leaning over the back of their sofa to peer down at their guest. Jet had lifted up the man's arm to show that the once deep gashes leading to his wrists were nothing more than red indents in the skin. "Holy shit…" Dean gaped, unable to come up with anything more intelligent to say.

"But all that blood…" Sam motioned toward the tarp that had been stained with it, as well as the stranger's own clothing. "What… how could… are there any other wounds on him?"

"His head was bleeding pretty bad." Dean reached down and carefully lifted the man's head, cringing at the faint wetness that was left over in the dark hair. "But… it's not fresh."

Jet raised an eyebrow and glanced up at the brothers with a slight smirk, "I have no idea what's going on here, but I get the feeling this guy wasn't sitting on the statue for weeks for no reason."

"Don't even go there." Dean warned with a glare.

* * *

" _Hey Cas?" A familiar voice, soft, gentle, and something he'd been starving to hear. It had a way of clearing his mind of anxieties. When he heard that voice everything would be okay._

" _Yes?" Castiel answered quietly, not wanting to strain his throat. It was sore, he had noted, all of him was sore but his throat felt exceptionally so._

" _Would you look at me?"_

_Castiel shifted and rolled his head to the side, it felt heavy and lopsided but he ignored that, brushing it off as a side effect of exhaustion. He could feel the touch of cool grass on his cheek, a breeze sweeping over his face and slowly relaxing him. He was safe, so why did he hesitate to open his eyes? 'Don't do it.' His mind screamed against the rest of the evidence, 'Don't look. Don't look at him.'_

_He didn't listen. Heavy eyelids pulled up, at first he just saw Dean's face and it wasn't so bad, until he focused and realized what he was staring at. They were both lying on the front lawn, Dean's body destroyed. Ruined by Castiel's hand. Tears stung at the back of his eyes but he held them, no sound coming from his mouth, nothing. He remained completely still, unable to look away from his beloved's unmoving face. It had been centuries since he'd last seen his partner alive, and he'd always told himself he was over it, that he would no longer mourn Dean's passing. But despite what he'd always told himself, the tears still waited behind his eyes, the lump in his throat never grew any smaller._

_At least he'd stopped screaming when he saw this face. Castiel's hand flinched as he lifted it up, fingers brushing over the cold skin of the man lying across from him. "I still love you." He whispered hoarsely._

It was suddenly dark. Again it felt like the world was spinning, if it had ever stopped. Castiel could feel his limbs, heavy as they were, and knew at least that he still had them. He was awake, he could tell that much. His eyelids were closed again with the real sensation of heaviness; he knew he had muscle control over them. It was a small comfort but he appreciated it nonetheless. Opening his eyes wouldn't be any fun, he was aware of that already. Getting his bearings, finding out what happened, where the demoni was-

Where was it?

He hadn't killed it.

Castiel threw himself upright, everything aching all at once, he felt like his muscles were being torn in half, that awful strain like he'd pulled every last one of them. He managed to keep a scream swallowed down, the sound turned into a muffled whine, he could deal with that. "Fuck." The first word out of his mouth since falling unconscious, "Where is it?" His voice was shaky, his body was weary, and his legs hardly listened to his brain's demands.  _'What did I…'_  He had to force himself to recall the last few moments before passing out, to remember that he'd actually blasted a hole through the town, through the demoni. And most would be happy with that, except as he passed out he could see it; watched it evaporate into the air.

That's not how those damn things died. They screamed and flailed and made a huge mess, that was the normal way. Evaporating? That was just bad news. He knew what that meant far too well and it explained the nightmare he'd had but that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Castiel groaned as he pulled himself to the edge of the bed, trying to ignore the noises he was making all the way. It was embarrassing, the kinds of whimpers his body would still make. He wasn't like that anymore; he shouldn't be capable of such sounds. And yet here he was, pathetically trying to get up.  _'Maybe I should rest.'_  He only thought it briefly as his feet touched the cold hardwood floor below. What kind of masochist didn't have a throw rug by their bedside? Cold feet first thing in the morning, nothing more refreshing than that.

"Dean, would you check on the stranger, please?" A voice called from somewhere in the building and Castiel found himself sitting very still, as if that would help him in not being detected.

"Dean?" He muttered, furrowing his brow now, wondering if he'd actually woken from his dream. That voice could only belong to Sam, Dean's little brother, and then obviously 'Dean' could only be his Dean, couldn't it? He had to be dreaming. Or maybe those non-corporeal bastards had thrown him into a nightmarish world where the man who looked like his beloved also sounded like him and even had the same name and family. Yep, that sounded like them.  _'Fucking hate alternate realities.'_  Castiel thought dismally, lowering his head as the door swung open.

"Oh!" That voice again, as soothing as it had been in the past, it only brought agitation to his system now. "You're up."

"Dean, I presume." Castiel looked up, his expression stiff as he did his best to keep the pain from registering there. Every muscle in his body was hurting and he wasn't sure if half of them were ready to be used yet.

"Yeah," Dean's face was slightly scrunched in a mixture of confused questions he desperately needed to ask, relief to see Castiel up, and a strange anxiety that Castiel couldn't quite place. "You uh… You gave us quite a scare back there."

"Back where?" He refused to let Dean's face get to him, regardless of how perfect it was. He looked just like his lover, sounded  _exactly_  like him. It was maddening and it was all Castiel could do to stop himself, stop himself from throwing a fit, from falling against the familiar body and curling against him. All he could do was bite back his words and turn his once adoring glances into a glare. This was not his Dean and so he had no reason to be friendly.

Dean made a face at the near snarl in the strangers voice but didn't address it, "In town, I don't know what you were doing but-"

"Where did it go?" Castiel's eyes widened as he leaned forward, Dean had been there. He might have seen it. "The thing I was fighting, what happened to it? Which way did it go?"

"I didn't see any-" Dean stopped when Sam poked his head inside, the younger Winchester's face lighting up at seeing Castiel upright.

"You're okay, thank god." He exclaimed, moving past his brother and closer to Castiel's side.

"Yeah, thank god…" He rolled his eyes, his right hand unconscious running over the back of his left. His fingers grazed over the remains of a scar, drawing his eyes closer. He remembered the spell he'd used, something he didn't often resort to and whenever he did he normally give it a little more time to work. It wasn't something to just launch like that, no preparation for his body at all, he was lucky it was only this bad.

Sam, in the meantime, had taken to checking the rest of him, making sure that the rest of the injuries were gone. Dean crossed his arms and frowned deeply at them, "So if you were going to check anyway why'd you send me?"

"I wasn't going to check, but I heard you talking up here. Since Jet went home I figured it could only have been to him." Sam glanced at Dean with the 'duh, don't be stupid' expression that he hated.

"What's your name, anyway?" Dean looked at their guest again, continuing his act to remain unfazed by the intense glare of those blue eyes.

"Castiel."

"Fancy, your parents were kind of nerdy, huh?"

"Religious, actually." Castiel stated matter-of-factly, bordering on insulted. "I was born on a Thursday."

"What's that got to do with it?" Dean's nose twitched upward on one side as he squinted at Castiel's already annoyed face.

"Castiel is the angel of Thursday." Sam informed him calmly.

Dean opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself from saying anything, mostly because none of it was any good and he'd rather stick to the 'don't say anything at all' part of that phrase when it came to first impressions. As much as he pretended it was nothing, he had to admire what this Castiel looked like up close. From far away he just looked like a pale face in dark clothing, creepy even. But seeing the details, those eyes that had struck his core before, Castiel was gorgeous. But Dean couldn't possibly admit that out loud.

"Cute." Was his response. It could have been taken as a reference toward Sam's usual knowledge on things, or maybe a sarcastic quip. But his tone didn't give that impression at all. In fact, he had been looking at Castiel when he said it.

Sam smirked over at his brother, that smile that meant he knew something about Dean that even he didn't know. It would have been kind of funny if not for the way Castiel reacted, the injured man pulled himself up and slammed himself against Dean. They fell back into the hallway, neither having proper balance to begin with, and landed on the floor, Castiel perched on top of Dean with a fist clenched in his shirt.

"You listen to me," he snarled low; bodies flush, their faces nearly touching, "My name is Castiel, I am not anything to you and you are not anything to me, understand?"

Dean swallowed and nodded, for some reason he wasn't angry. Normally he'd be throwing punches by now.

"Good." Castiel released him and moved to get up though his strength was still nonexistent if there at all. His arms buckled under his weight as he tried to rise up, slipping right back down and back to Dean's face. In this kind of scenario many would romanticize the outcome, that their lips connected and there was a first and possible memorable kiss that could be referred back to beautifully. But it was much more like reality where their faces cracked together and both rolled to opposite sides, hands pressed to the sore spots while they cursed under their breath and out loud in turn.

Sam ran a hand into his hair and shook his head. Whoever this Castiel was he seemed like he'd fit in rather well for the time being.


	5. Aeterna: Demoni and the Void

**Primary World: Part 5**

"Why's he gotta stay in  _my_  room?" Dean insisted agitatedly, face to face with Sam in the kitchen while he tried to ignore the throbbing of his bottom lip. That damn Castiel adding injury to insult. "And furthermore, who the hell does he think he is? I saved his sorry ass!"

"I know Dean," Sam muttered, "And I know you just really wanted to say 'furthermore' in that sentence. But regardless of what you want, he needs a place to stay while he gets better."

"And again, I ask why  _my_  room?"

Sam stopped and turned to look at him for a moment before shrugging and going back to making breakfast, "Fine, I guess I'll just give my room-"

"No! Wait." Dean shook his head and dropped down at the table, "He'll stay in mine. I don't want you sleeping on the couch."

"Then why would you complain in the first place?"

"Because I don't want  _him_  snooping through my stuff."

Sam chuckled, cracking eggs against the frying pan's edge and smoothly transitioning them to the heated surface, "What on earth could you have in there that you'd be embarrassed for him to find?"

"Not embarrassed, Sammy, angry for him to touch." Dean corrected grumpily, glancing up from where he was resting his face in his palms. "What do you think he does? I mean did you see his clothes? Weird lookin'."

"That's rude, Dean." Sam pointed out as he seasoned their food, "But I dunno, I honestly don't even know what kind of fabric it is. I mean I'm not normally good at that kind of thing to begin with but it didn't feel like anything I've touched before." He paused from where he was about to start slicing up oranges, garnishes for their breakfast, "And when he was letting me check his wounds I saw he had a tattoo on his back… Though I don't know if it was a tattoo so much as a carving."

"What did it say?" Dean wished he could deny the interest that arched in his tone but there was no hiding it now.

"Well-" Sam started but paused when he saw the disheveled haired guest coming around the doorway and into the kitchen-dining room. "Hello Castiel, how are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you." Castiel gave Sam a somewhat warmer look than he bothered to give Dean; cold eyes shifted Dean's way with a glint that said enough to piss him off. "If you wish to know so badly, it's the mark of a High Priest."

Neither Winchester had much to say to that, exchanging a glance to see what the other was thinking. "So, wait," Dean looked Castiel over again, "You're saying you're a high priest? Like crazy catholic kind of-"

"No." Castiel slowly lowered himself down into a chair and leaned back to rest, hating that his limbs were so stiff. The healing process was never a painless thing. "Where I come from it's called 'The Faith.'"

And he just left it at that, not really the ideal answer for someone like Sam though. "Where do you come from?" He had to pick his questions carefully; Castiel was the temperamental type and judging by the way he just sat and thought about the answer, Sam had chosen wisely.

"No where you would know."

"Try me." Sam was no slouch when it came to studies and though geography wasn't his strongest he doubted there was something so unknown that he wouldn't be able to find it on a map.

Castiel looked tired as he rubbed his face, attempting to find an answer that might suit these two. At the same time he wasn't in the mood for making things up, or explaining, or talking in general. Of course, being the strangest thing that had happened to these two brothers, silence wasn't really an option for him, and he knew it. "One of the mainline worlds. It's known as 'In Somniantes', which means 'The Dreaming' or 'The Dreamers'." He looked at them and as their expressions remained in that 'what the hell is he talking about' zone, he grew increasingly frustrated. He hated explaining this.

Absolutely hated it. He was tired, in pain, hungry, why did he have to do this? Hell, ninety percent of the time he avoided the other worlds' inhabitants to get away from explaining this every single time. Of course, he couldn't escape with it this time. "Alright, I've been in this kind of situation an innumerable amount of times, not specifically this one, but one where I have to explain this. So listen up, I'm only doing it once." Sharp eyes snapped between the two of them like he'd had enough of their crap, even though they hadn't really given him any. "There are other worlds out there, just like there's a known timeline there's also something like a set of roads. Like I'd mentioned, the world I'm from is on the mainline, as is this one. The mainline isn't always visible and it isn't always the same, it alternates with the flow of time so it's difficult to tell which worlds are on it. But anything that is connected to the mainline is important."

Dean would have interrupted to point out how crazy it was, but Sam's astounded expression had him shutting up faster than he thought possible. "Are you serious? You can jump between worlds?"

"I can, yes." Castiel nodded, his body language shifting from entirely pissed off to just grumpy; he wasn't used to someone believing him right away. "My coat is actually a link between this realm and a space where I keep my things. It's something all high priests of the faith are given when they're sent out on mission."

"What's your mission?" Sam might've disguised his intrigue if he'd known it was so obvious, Dean had to smile at the wonderment.

"Impossible…" Castiel looked away toward the floor, bitterness melting into shame and remorse. "I've long been charged with taking out the creatures of the Void; it's a space that exists outside of the roads between the worlds. It's vast and full of monsters you've never heard of, they used to be very few in number but it keeps growing."

"Why?" Dean was surprised at his own question; he didn't really believe this crap, did he?

"The worlds have grown further and further apart, the connections are weak, and the Void is getting bigger every day. There's more room for them to spread, and the ones that have been there longest have found ways into the worlds. I've been sent out to kill the ones that get in and find a way to strengthen the connections." Castiel leaned back as Sam set out their breakfast, a grateful smile given to the younger Winchester. "But lately I've run into nothing but dead ends. There have been the same worlds on the mainline repeatedly but I'm not able to get access alone, it's been frustrating. This world wasn't connected to the mainline until recently; something big had to happen here… I just didn't think it'd be a demoni like that."

"A demo-what?" Dean raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, I feel like we're getting an info dump here, I can't remember half of this."

"And you don't need to." Castiel snapped, "Simply put, it's the void monster I was fighting the other night. Normally cannon fodder but it was a much higher level."

"At least you killed it, right?" Sam asked, trying to be polite in a way to make up for his brother.

"No." The priest all but snarled into his eggs, "It got away. It's badly injured but it got away."

Dean snorted antagonistically, "Then chase after it."

Castiel slammed a fist down on the table, harder than either Winchester thought he was capable of, "I  _can't_. That demoni evaporated. Vanished. Poof. It's incorporeal, pretty much fucking  _air._ " His ranting tone elevated and it got to the point he was hardly talking to the boys and more just venting his frustration. "All elite demoni have some kind of ability and wouldn't luck have it I found another possessor! When they're recovering or hiding they hide  _inside people_. They possess a body and  _take over it_. Do you understand? Someone in this town is a  _monster_. When it wakes again it'll go insane because it will get a sudden memory rush after connecting with the human's brain! People are going to die, Dean! The closest loved ones to the possessed will be the first targets! They're going to fucking die and it's  **all my fault**!" Castiel shouted, his face twisted in anger as he pushed himself to his feet, hands firmly planted on the table and nearly pressing an indent into it.

Sam moved to his side and tried to help him relax, luckily for Castiel too because his strength fled from him as fast as he'd summoned it. "Calm down, there has to be something you can do." Sam looked at him reassuringly though his confidence faded the longer he analyzed the priest's face.

"There is something I can… Once the possessor demoni has nested inside someone it's strength is divided into or multiplied by its host. If the host is stronger than the monster, its power will grow. It's the same rule if the host is weaker, and around here I imagine that the population is made up of regular humans."

"So good news, it's easy to take out now, right?" Dean gave his best optimistic smile, mostly to try and help Sam out a little bit on this one.

"Yes," Castiel nodded, "But we won't be able to locate it until it wakes again."

Dean nodded, "Well then we'll keep an eye out, does it have any tells? Like the possessed person does something weird or what?"

"The closer it gets to waking the more aggressive the host will become. They'll be odd before that but it's hard to tell unless you know them personally. I won't be able to see it." Castiel shakily tried to pick up his fork again, frowning at the way his hands trembled now.

"Sweet!" Dean and Sam smirked at one another and clapped hands in a high five. They weren't sure what they were a part of but it felt kind of important. And a tad crazy.

"But the host won't survive."

Dean froze mid celebration with Sam and cranked his gaze back to Castiel, "Say what? Why?"

"The host doesn't survive because I'm only capable of killing them." His eyes were unwavering, that cold chill Dean had gotten earlier making so much more sense. This guy was a murderer, possibly completely insane and using this 'void' madness to explain why he had to murder a possessed person every now and then.

And then again there was no sign of a liar in anything Castiel had done so far. He'd been up front with them, straightforward and blunt. He hadn't lied yet, why would he now? And Dean had even seen the figure of the monster that Castiel was talking about, could he really just ignore that? The logic part of his brain was saying yes but everything else wanted to trust him. So he decided that he would, praying that it wasn't his downstairs brain making the calls.  _'Not gay.'_  Dean told himself.

"So you understand then?" Castiel broke the silence that had fallen over the room, "I was sent here to take care of this thing and I will," he looked down at the food he'd partially eaten for a moment, "I appreciate the help, I don't want to drag the two of you into this mess."  _'I can't see you get hurt again.'_  He pushed the thought down, though it was stubborn.

Dean almost whole-heartedly agreed, he'd rather keep crazy shit like this out of their lives. They were doing well now, finally things had gotten brighter; Sam was well again, the hospital debt was paid off, Sam was in school, Dean was climbing the mechanic ladder. It was all finally looking their way; he didn't want to mess it up. After a year of fearing how sick Sam was, how much worse he was getting on and off like a wave, Dean didn't want to do anything strenuous. Things were good now, but he didn't speak up fast enough to agree.

"Bullshit," Sam interjected first, "I'm sorry, Cas, but we're kind of in this now."

"We're what?" Dean made a face at his brother who only nodded firmly to emphasize it.

"Hell yeah we are. Dean, you brought him here worried for his safety. You can't tell me that hearing he'll be going out there alone to fight a monster is okay with you, can you? Cas needs our help and now that I know this is going on I can't just sit on my hands and pretend it isn't there."

' _Damn it Sam.'_  Dean rolled his eyes and slid a hand down his face, "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Fine," He turned toward Castiel this time, noting the somewhat surprised look on his face, "Cas, I can't promise we'll help you kill this thing but at least let us help you a little. Stay here to recuperate and wait for this thing, alright?"

The priest was silent for a long moment, contemplating, hesitating, and finally replying. "Thank you, I hope it isn't in someone you know, for your sakes."

"You don't know Winchester luck." Sam laughed.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled, "based on that logic, we might as well assume it's in me."

Castiel's face darkened, "I suppose you have a point, Winchester luck is known throughout the universe as terrible."

"Are you serious?" The brothers spoke in unison that actually managed to bring a small smile to Castiel's face.

"I wish I were joking."


	6. Aeterna: The Host

**Primary World: Part 6**

* * *

" _I'm looking back again, tracing back the threads."_  


* * *

Sam looked up at the clock, watching the seconds hand tick, slowly flicking its way around in an endless circle. What a useless little thing, it seemed, to count the seconds that made up a moment in his life. And when laying down the events that would tell his story, what would those seconds matter? Would he ever tell anyone about them? Probably not. Who says 'And I watched the clock for a few minutes' as a stepping-stone in their life's story? It didn't make sense and it didn't matter.

In fact he didn't know why he was contemplating this, all he really knew was that it was three in the morning and he was awake again. This was the third night in a row he couldn't shut his brain up. Other worlds, timelines, fate of the universe? It sounded so crazy and yet Castiel believed it with every fibre of his being, he was a man dedicated to 'the faith', whatever that was. A high priest of sorts that fought monsters and saved people and knew things that he'd never dreamed of; and here he was, sleeping in their house. Dean was still on the couch; Sam was wondering if it was a waste now considering Dean was probably actually sleeping while Sam couldn't get himself to that state.

Castiel had been with them now for three days, almost four. He'd been fairly hermit-esque in his behaviours, shutting himself away in Dean's room, avoiding them at any cost. He looked at them differently, like he knew them in some way. Really, the way he spoke to them wasn't how Sam would expect a stranger to act. Most people were somewhat polite and trying to earn their keep for the first little bit until the welcome was worn out. Castiel jumped over those little hurdles and went straight for the unwanted guest that has possibly overstayed his welcome and is on the verge of being kicked out. He wasn't particularly rude to Sam; he made a point of avoiding eye contact and trying to evade him in general. But Dean? Castiel, and Sam would swear his life on this, hated Dean with some sort of passion. It was crazy.

And due to the priest's behaviour Sam just had so many questions. Castiel was cynical; what had he seen that made him this way? After being to so many different worlds and times, why was he bitter like that? Wasn't there some beauty out there? A magic that someone like himself could never know? And why did Castiel act like he knew them? Hell, how did he  _already_  know them? The stranger could nearly finish Dean's sentences for him, though never out loud. Dean would be pissed off about not being able to find something and somehow Castiel would either know instinctively, based on their personalities, where one of the Winchesters would put the item; or he knew what Dean was looking for without Dean ever having to say it out loud. Just that evening, in fact, Dean had been snooping through the cupboards for something, grumping to himself incoherently and never asking for help. Castiel had been watching from the dining table, slowly finishing his meal. He'd stood up, went to the bottom cupboards and handed Dean a bag of chips.

It had been astounding to Sam, but what really got him was the fact that they had about five different flavours down there and Castiel chose the exact one that had been hunting for. It was coincidence, it had to be. No one could know someone else that well. Unless Castiel could read minds, which was another question that Sam considered asking.

One of the biggest problems he had with all of this was the fact that these stupid questions only really came to him at this hour, waking him up and making him remain awake until the thoughts were done circulating. Sam considered buying sleeping aids but he wasn't one to enjoy pill dependency. Vitamins he'd take, sure, but he wasn't even that big a fan of Tylenol.

Sam stared at the ceiling now, listening to the sounds of the house. He was always surprised at how thin the walls were; if he tried hard enough he could hear just about anything in the dead of night. He closed his eyes, letting the wind outside distract him, the sound of technology running within the house somehow comforting, and he swore he could almost hear Dean snoring in the living room.

"Sam,"

The rough voice startled him, eyes snapping up to see Castiel peering at him from the doorway. "Cas? What're you doing up?"

Castiel remained nearly motionless, his head tilting slightly to the side the only movement that Sam could register.

"Cas?"

No answer from the priest. It was worrisome; in fact it was giving Sam a bad feeling.

"Castiel, maybe you should-" He froze when the stranger lifted his hand, a faint glow starting the middle of his palm. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"It's you." Castiel spoke emotionlessly, like a dead man, cold without feeling. "You're the monster now."

"I'm not." Sam shook his head, his heart starting to beat out of time and rhythm, "Please, wait Castiel!" Tears rushed to his eyes as he realized that Castiel wasn't going to stop, "No!" Sam threw his hands up in front of himself as the light from Castiel grew stronger, warmer, he could feel its presence in the room.

" _Dean! DEAN!"_

"SAMMY!" Dean's voice sounded like thunder, like it'd crashed into the room. Sam could feel strong hands on him, a solid arm braced beneath his shoulder blades and hauling him up. Up until his face connected with the soft cotton of Dean's undershirt. It wasn't until that moment that he realized he'd been dreaming, his mind completely shaken and his body following suit. Trembling hands fumbled to catch a firm hold of his brother somehow, but Dean seemed to have it under control. He squeezed Sam tightly, a strong reminder that he was safe, that Dean was there now.

Sam breathed heavily against his brother's chest, calming himself, or trying to. He shakily inhaled one more time before lifting his head, Dean was right there to smile down at him.

"You okay, Sammy?"

'Yes' was the first answer that came to his tongue, but he swallowed it. "Just… over thinking things, I guess." He laughed softly and lowered his head again, closing his eyes and listening to the slowly decelerating sound of Dean's heart.  _'I must have scared him…'_  Sam thought despairingly.

Dean ran his hand down through Sam's hair a few times, wondering if he should read into the fact that his stubborn little brother actually went back to lie against him again. But he decided not to, Sam didn't need him poking and prodding at this. It was just a nightmare, Dean told himself this and Sam as well. "Just a bad dream, doesn't mean anything, okay?"

Sam nodded, appreciating the soothing tone of Dean's voice. It was nice and comforting, and for just a little while Sam felt like he was a kid again. His big brother was right there for him, like always. "Thanks, Dean."

"No problem, Sam." Dean smiled and stroked his hair a few more times before slowly letting Sam lay back down, "Get some sleep, alright?"

Another nod and a yawn to follow, Sam curled up and rolled over, nuzzling into his pillow like he liked to do. Dean scoffed quietly and strolled out of the room, back to his couch. He couldn't wait until Castiel would be on his merry way and finally get his damn bedroom back.

* * *

" _You said I was a mess, or was that just in my head?"_  


* * *

"Dean, could you get some groceries?" Sam walked into the living room where Dean was casually lounging and watching TV, Castiel perched on the other side of the room by the window, staring out of it and watching the neighborhood. And while Sam was sure that Cas was just checking for signs of the monster, it still looked like a creepy hermit-man kind of behaviour. It'd been over a week now, he was healed up and wearing Sam's clothes because he only had one set while his jacket stitched itself.

Yes. It stitched itself apparently. Sam didn't believe it until he saw the thing slowly fusing itself back together, one stitch at a time. It was mind-boggling and the most proof that he had so far that Castiel was telling the truth. Regardless, Cas had a runner's body type, meaning he was fit but lithe, slender even. Sam wasn't terribly built either but was very tall and had broad shoulders. It honestly didn't make sense that Cas would wear his clothes and not Dean's, Dean was more his height and while Dean was more muscular, it'd still fit him better than drowning in what Sam had to offer. But Castiel refused, absolutely refused to wear Dean's clothing.

"You got a list?" Dean looked up, normally he'd fight this tooth and nail, but considering a few nights ago Sam had a serious night terror that left him shaken for the entire following day, he decided to not argue.

"Yeah, and uh…" Sam smiled sheepishly as he handed it over, "Take Cas with you."

Dean made a face, and looked over at Castiel who turned his head to reciprocate the glance. Cas held it for a long moment and shrugged, the collar of his shirt almost slipping over his shoulder as he got up from the windowpane.

It was kind of funny for Sam, neither of them uttered a single sound of protest, sure they each made their disgruntled lack of amusement known with facial expressions, but they didn't say it. Sam didn't know why they did this with him, well he knew why Dean didn't argue but Cas he hadn't a clue. Again, it was the sense that Castiel knew him somehow. Sam felt that weird little 'older brother' vibe coming from the priest, like Cas would protect him if need be.

At least he did in the last few days, that is. Once Cas became aware of Sam's nightmare, when he noticed how twitchy and a little frightened Sam was of him, Castiel had done little gestures of peace and kept an eye on his own behaviour. If Sam were worried, Cas would do everything he could not to be intimidating or scary in any way. Sam was a bit conscious of the fact that he was being treated like a traumatized five year old, but it kept the other two from fighting so he didn't object very much.

"Let's go, Cas." Dean grumbled as he folded Sam's list and put it in his pocket, ignoring Castiel somewhat as he walked out. Wearing clothes that were too big on him, shirt slipping off his shoulders. Dean was frustrated, he wouldn't admit it out loud but he was frustrated. This mysterious as fuck man shows up in town and sits on a statue, staring at him every day, makes eye contact every day, and all but gives Dean nightmares himself. Dean found that he couldn't go a single day without thinking about the guy, wondering at first if he was a murderer and slowly wondering if maybe he was just a homeless man, or if he was even there at all. Then he freaking disappears! Just like that, never got the chance to say hello, never managed to ask the man's name, nothing. Just poof, gone. Give that about 24 hours and suddenly the stranger is sleeping in his bed, eating his food, and refusing to wear his clothes or even give him a decent conversation. To top it all off, Dean  _still_  couldn't stop thinking about him. Castiel, angel of Thursday, but not a real angel, he just looked like one.

And Dean would kick himself for thinking that too but he couldn't help it, getting into the car he couldn't help but look over to watch the way Castiel leaned in and shift his body into the seat. While he started the engine Dean couldn't help but glance to see if Cas enjoyed the roar of the engine the way he did. And as the Impala started up and Castiel didn't think Dean could see him, Dean couldn't fucking help but notice the nostalgic pain that flittered across the other man's face. Who the hell was this guy and what was his deal?

"Alright," Dean started calmly, backing off the drive way and heading down the street to the nearest grocery store, "What's up with you?"

Castiel looked back at him, Dean forced himself not to look into those baby blue eyes, "You'll have to be more specific, Dean."

"Why do you hate me?" Dean was using his 'just give me an answer damn it' voice, it was usually just used on Sam when the twerp wouldn't tell him something he already knew.

Cas remained quiet for an extended amount of time before he looked out the window and Dean thought for sure the bastard was in the middle of ignoring him when he answered, "I don't hate you."

"Oh, you don't?" He could hear the sarcasm in his own voice but didn't stop it. "Then what the hell? You've been nothing but rude to me, you glare at me when I see you, you blatantly refuse to do certain things when I'm involved but if Sam asks you're cool with it. I get that part a little bit, the kid's got puppy eyes, but the way you do it is always a way to prove somehow that you want nothing to do with me. I don't care if you  _do_  hate me, I just want to know why."

Castiel held his pattern of silence first, looking out the window as his hands fidgeted on the hem of his shirt. Dean hadn't seen him fidget before, this was new, he was getting somewhere. "I said I don't hate you. And while there is a story behind my behaviour I don't wish to share it."

Dean was about to make a fuss when Cas turned toward him again, and he fell right into those eyes. "Did I do anything?"

"No, you didn't." Castiel sighed and leaned his head back, "You're right, Dean. I'm sorry, this has been unfair to you."

"Damn right it has."

"Let me…" Cas bit the inside of his cheek momentarily, watching the way Dean parked so seamlessly; he'd always been good with cars. "Let me start over." He turned Dean's way and extended his hand, "Castiel, it's nice to meet you."

"Dean Winchester," Dean smiled and took the priest's hand firmly. "Mind if I ask you something?"

"Go right ahead."

"What's your last name? Do priests not get one?" The curious look in those green eyes caught Castiel off guard but the question was weighted enough to nearly knock him out of his seat.

"We keep the ones we had in our previous lives." He answered matter-of-factly, wanting to keep emotion out of it.

"So… you guys are reincarnated?"

"No, the normal lives we held before we became High Priests of the faith."

Dean nodded, not missing the fact that Cas was fighting him over this, but if it was a new start he wanted to know the guy's full name. "And yours was what? Does it have some meaning like your first name? Is it Thursday? That'd be kinda funny."

Castiel opened the door of the Impala and climbed out, "Winchester." He said softly before closing the door and walking toward the supermarket.

Dean sat motionless for a moment before shutting the car off and locking the doors, "Wait, Winchester? Really?"

"Yes." Castiel's pace was brisk and Dean found himself watching the shift of Cas' hips as he moved. "And I'd like you to drop it, please."

"Just one question, one more." Dean clapped his hands together in a sort of pleading gesture once he caught up to Cas, walking slightly ahead so the priest could see him. "Please?"

Castiel rolled his eyes but knew he couldn't really say no. "What is it?"

"Does that mean we're related?"

"In a way, I suppose… No." Castiel shook his head and pushed past Dean again, getting him out of his face. "You… are a different man. If you want to assume we're related then I'll go right back to treating you as I was."

Dean didn't need more of an explanation than that to get the hint, but he pushed anyway. No one said Winchesters were always smart. "So wait, you kind of know us, right? Was there another version of Sam and me in your world?" His eyes widened, connecting the dots, "Is that why you're so nice to Sam all the time and not me? Were you and Sam, you know… married or something?"

Castiel grabbed Dean's collar and slammed him into the nearest light post, lifting him from the ground as if it were simple. "I said  _drop it_." He snarled as he did exactly that, dropping Dean back to the pavement and continuing on his way.

Dean rubbed his neck a little and exhaled slowly, he deserved that, and he knew it. As well, he couldn't shake the tingling feeling that was starting to spread through his body. "Cas," he called, he still hadn't moved.

The priest turned his head, jaw tightly clenched, eyes daring Dean to say something stupid. And while Dean really wanted to tell him how absurdly hot that was, he went with something else that he should have already said.

"I'm sorry."

"Forgiven. Now let's get the groceries and get out of here." Cas turned and continued, this time with Dean in tow.

* * *

" _So help me decide, help me to make up… Make up my mind."_  


* * *

Shopping was all but done; Castiel was surprisingly efficient at it despite not knowing the store very well. As Dean watched Cas wandering down an aisle for the last item on their list he felt a sort of adoration for him. The little way he lips moved as he silently muttered the item's name to himself so he wouldn't forget, how he stopped in front of the lane to look up at the types of groceries he'd find there, shake his head and move on. Or when he did go down the aisle and quickly return with the supplies in hand, clutched close to his body so none of the other Saturday shoppers could snatch it away from him, just in case people fought over their food in this world or something.

Yes, Castiel was a little rough around the edges and definitely bitter over something that had happened, but Dean saw something cute in there. Beneath the scowls and threats there was a bright-eyed guy looking for approval like the rest of them.

The sound of his phone ringing snapped him away from his musings; Dean fished in his pocket for it and quickly answered. "Hello?"

" _Hey man, it's Jet."_

"Dude, what's up?" Dean would have sounded a little friendlier but Jet's tone was off-putting.

" _Not much, but hey, where are you? I went to your place to visit and Sam's here by himself and uh… Well it's hard to explain."_

"Sam? Is he okay? What happened?" The demanding tone was immediate, worry filling him as he suddenly became agitated at how long the lines were to pay for his groceries.

" _Well he's pretty upset and he's not telling me what happened. The place is trashed, man. It looks like someone busted in and just went ape shit around here."_

"Is Sam hurt?" Dean spat the words like they were the only things he cared about, demanding an answer without shouting 'answer me' at the end.

" _Not much, his hands are pretty banged up though."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Could you watch him, please?" Dean anxiously looked around to see if any lines were moving faster or if someone had fewer items in their cart. As he looked he noticed Castiel waving him over from further along and hurried to the man's side.

" _Can do, man. He wants to see you and said to ask Cas to stay outside for a bit when you get home. He's scared of something, I don't get it but I'm just giving you the message."_

"Thanks so much, man. I'll be there soon." Dean hung up and ran a hand through his hair, "Crap…"

Castiel tilted his head curiously, eyes squinting just enough to add to the confusion in his face. "What happened?"

"Something's up at home, Sam wants to see me." He sighed and looked at Cas, unable to hide the concern.

And though no one said anything outright, Dean was terrified. Why did all of these things always have to happen to Sam?

"We should hurry back to him." Cas eyed the line suspiciously, trying to figure out a way to make this go faster. He came up with nothing and they reached the till in normal time, this didn't stop Castiel from making that face though; the 'I'll figure a way out of this' kind of expression. Dean would have laughed if not for being so caught up in what Jet had said.

They made it home in record time and as Dean leapt out of the car he pointed back to Cas and said as firmly as he could, "You stay here."

Castiel, shockingly to Dean, listened obediently and remained by the Impala. His better judgment told him to follow, hell, everything told him to follow. But that stupid little incessant voice in his head reminded him to stay. Dean asked him to stay.  _'But he's not the same Dean, he's a completely different man. I don't have to listen.'_  But he knew better, he knew his mind had long made the connection and would refuse to let it go for anything.

Dean ran inside, closing the door behind him just in case Cas was curious. "Sam?" He called as he quickly hurried to the living room, finding Jet standing in the middle of it looking around at the destruction. Sam was sitting on the couch that was now lopsided, his hands hidden under his arms as he hugged himself. Dean dropped down beside him and turned his brother's head to look at his face. "Sam, you okay?"

"Dean… I think…" Sam stammered, his face was pale and his eyes were wide, "I think I'm-"

"Don't." Dean said firmly, "It wasn't you Sam."

"But it was." Sam insisted, the fear in his eyes growing, "I did it. I remember doing it."

Jet glanced over at Dean worriedly; he'd been with them for years and stuck by Dean as much as he could during Sam's sickness. Hearing this wasn't comforting for any of them.

"Sam-" Dean tried to say something, anything helpful but Sam shook his head.

"No, Dean. It's… It's me. Everything that Cas said… It's in me."

Dean looked back and forth between Sam's eyes, his stomach turning and knotting.

* * *

" _Wouldn't that save you?"_  



	7. Aeterna: Sammy, I'm Gonna Fix You

" _Hey! Cas! Wait up for a second, would you?"_

_Castiel stopped, his ears burning for his name as he turned around. "Sam? Sam what are you doing out here?" He was instantly concerned, nearly dropping the food he'd been carrying home to begin with. "If Dean sees you-"_

" _I know." Sam smiled weakly, his thin limbs looking like they could barely hold him up let alone carry him all this way. "I just needed to see you."_

" _You should be at home, you're sick." Cas reached over with his free hand and touched the young man's clammy forehead. Sam swiped it away and shook his head._

" _No, I mean I'll go back in a second. Can you just let me tell you something?" He was worked up and before Cas had the chance to calm him down he started coughing. Sam's body shook from the force of it; he ended up falling into Castiel's arms after the other man frantically dropped the woven bag of ingredients._

" _Sam!" Cas held his ground, supporting his boyfriend's little brother until Sam managed to get back on his feet. "I told you-"_

" _I know," Sam wheezed and smiled a little, "Just hear me out. I know you and Dean were fighting-"_

" _You weren't supposed to hear that…" Cas muttered sadly._

" _Dean loves you." Sam insisted, "He loves you and he needs you, Cas."_

_Cas curled his bottom lip in and bit down gently, wondering what he could say to him. "Sam, I know Dean and I have been together for a little while but sometimes it just doesn't work out."_

" _No. He's going to need you. He's just really stressed out, okay? Please don't go, he's just looking for a reason…" Sam all but begged him, his voice sounding strained like he was fighting to say each word. His breath started coming pained waves and Cas helped soothe them until the wound up resting on the sidewalk but breathing normally._

" _A reason to what?" Castiel asked softly, running a hand over Sam's hair comfortingly._

" _To kill himself when I die." Sam's voice was gentle but somehow it sounded like the strongest thing he'd said in ages._

" _He… he wouldn't." Cas furrowed his brow; his heart feeling like it was about to stop all together._

" _Not as long as he has you." Green eyes shifted up to stare at him, that awful look that got you to do anything even if you didn't want to do it. But it wasn't something Castiel would be forced to do, he wanted things to work out with Dean, it was just a stupid fight._

" _Is that why you think he'll need me? Because you think you're going to die, Sam?"_

" _I know I am." Sam slowly pushed himself up, his arms shaking a little as sat upright, "The doctors told me last week, it's why Dean's been so uptight."_

_Cas knew Sam was trying to get him to be worried about his relationship with Dean, trying to get him to think about fixing everything and staying with his brother. But Castiel couldn't thinking of anything but Sam at that moment, he wrapped his arms around the boy's slender shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Tears stung his eyes and though he tried to fight it, he sobbed against the other. "I'm so sorry, Sam." His voice mumbled by Sam's now wet shirt. "You know I love you." He gasped, lifting his head and cupping Sam's face in his hands, "You deserved better than this."_

_It's what Cas said when they buried him, too. He stood at Dean's side, black the colour of their clothing, roses in his hands. "You deserved better than this."_

* * *

" _Watched it all go by. Was it really true?"_  


* * *

**Primary World: Part 7**

Dean sat against the wall of Sam's room, looking over at the slumbering form of his brother. Jet had stayed most of the day and when Dean asked him to sleep over he did so without question. Jet had been his best friend forever and Dean didn't know how to show his appreciation for the effort the other man put into this, into Sam. He wanted to ask for help, to find a way to save his brother.

" _The closer it gets to waking the more aggressive the host will become."_

Castiel's words from the week before.

" _They'll be odd before that but it's hard to tell unless you know them personally."_

Had Sam been odd? Not to Dean's knowledge, but had he been paying close attention to it? Castiel was around, the new face in their home and causing Sam to act differently regardless. Dean really had no way of recalling if Sam was odd because he always acted a little different depending on who else was around.

The nightmare was new.

" _But the host won't survive."_

"Sam…"

" _I'm only capable of killing them."_

That's why Sam wanted Castiel out when he told Dean, but that was weird. Dean realized it now, Sam would normally tell Castiel immediately. He'd demand that the monster be killed before it was dangerous, before it had a chance to run from his body and get into another person. That's what Sam was like, self sacrificing and stubborn, not scared and willing to keep this a secret. Dean rubbed his face tiredly and walked out of Sam's room, letting his brother sleep.

"I don't know what's up," Jet started talking from the broken down couch, laying in the living room that he'd helped put back together, mostly. "I don't know what Sam was talking about and I don't know why you guys didn't tell Cas, but I want to help."

"Dude, this is something… I don't think you'd believe me even if I told you."

"Try me."

So Dean did and there was no real way to describe the look on Jet's face as he attempted to understand the whole thing. "Alright," he said after running a hand through shaggy hair, "Let's go with; I'm behind you one hundred percent even if I don't get it."

"Sounds good." Dean smiled as they moved into a hug, a solid clap to the other's back as they stepped away again. "I don't really know what to do though, Cas… says to get rid of it he has to kill it."

"Okay, and the catch that I'm not getting here is…?"

"To kill it, he has to kill Sam." Dean's brow furrowed, he fought off the urge to throw a fit over it. "He doesn't know any other way."

"There are other ways," Castiel's voice startled Dean, he spun around to see the priest dressed in his own clothes, that dark jacket ending at his ankles and those tight pants that outlined his figure nicely. If Dean weren't terrified of the fact that Cas had heard him he'd be checking the man out.

"What ways?" Jet asked for him, his expression darkened now that there was the possibility this stranger would threaten Sam's life.

"There are other high priests that have been known to banish the monster without hurting the man, in fact the priests are supposed to be fighting these things in teams. Or so I've heard." Castiel looked at Sam's bedroom and sighed lightly, Dean noticed darker rings forming beneath his eyes.

"So where's yours?"

Dean wouldn't have asked, he was glad that Jet did for all of two seconds until he saw the pain in Castiel's face, like he'd just been stabbed in the heart.

"I don't know. I've been doing this alone for a long time."

"Meaning that even though there are other ways to save Sam you don't have any available? Fan-fucking-tastic. What was the point in sharing that?" Jet all but snapped at the priest, about to continue when Dean motioned for him to stop.

"I was told before I arrived that my partner would be here, but I haven't seen any signs of him." Castiel knew he was lying, the signs were all right there and even if they weren't he could draw the conclusion easily enough. Whenever a new high priest would come into their power, there was always tragedy. And not just at the time of their awakening, either, their lives were riddled with it, some more than others. And the fact that this awakening was so similar to his own, Castiel could only assume that it couldn't be anyone but his partner going through this.

Dean lowered his head and rubbed his temples tiredly, "I… I can't just let you do that. I won't let you kill him." He looked up determinedly, staring right into Castiel's eyes without hesitation.

"Then he'll kill you." Cas pointed out. And that was something Castiel wouldn't ever let happen again, not while he was still breathing.

"I'll figure it out, alright?" Dean clenched his fists and glared down to the floor.

"Right." Cas sighed and folded his arms over his chest, "In the meantime, the longer this thing sleeps the longer it alerts other void monsters to this world. We have the information we need, we know it's Sam. We should take care of it now." Cas couldn't say why he hadn't just done it already; fuck what they think, right? They didn't know what he knew; they had no idea what the details of this situation were. Why was he waiting for their approval?

Because it was Sam. He couldn't do that to Sam… But he couldn't watch Dean die again, and he knew that if this Sam was anything like his, he'd never want to be responsible for murdering his brother.

"It doesn't matter, stay away from my brother." Dean sounded predatory as he growled out the words.

"Fine." Castiel headed for the door, "I'll be waiting, call me when you've changed your mind."

"Fine!" Dean shouted after him, flinching when he heard the door slam.

"This is nuts." Jet grimmaced and ran his hand down his face, "That guy's a maniac, he wants to kill Sam! You're just gonna let him walk around like that?"

"It's fine, Jet. I'll figure this out." Dean insisted, drumming his fingers along his leg anxiously. "No one's killing anybody…"

"Gotcha." Jet crossed his arms and leaned against the opposite wall from Dean, "Meantime plan?" Dean's silence was drawn out until his best friend coughed loudly, startling him to look up again. "Well I got one."

"You do?"

"Yep, I'm going to grab grumpy over there and we're going to hunt his partner down." Jet unfolded his arms and headed for the door. "Be right back, man."

Dean smiled and nodded, "Thanks Jet."

It would be okay, Jet and Cas would find the partner that could fix Sam and it would all be okay, this nightmare would be over. Dean allowed himself to believe this moments too soon, the door to Sam's room opened slowly, the younger Winchester standing in the doorway.

"Sammy?" Dean looked up, moving over to his brother's side but stopping short when he noticed the way Sam swayed. "Sam? What's going on? Are you feeling okay?"

Sam looked up at him, a crooked little smile spreading over his lips. "Hi, Dean." He took a step forward, his voice shaking from an almost laugh to nearly crying. "Dean I'm scared, please-"

"Sam!?" Dean felt his heart leap to his throat, "What…?"

"Do you need me?" There was a chuckle that followed, it made Dean's stomach churn.

"Always, Sammy."

"Do you love me?"

"Forever." Dean's jaw trembled; he didn't know what was wrong. He  _knew_  what was wrong but he didn't know what it was doing to Sam. Was he hurting in there? He just said he was scared, what was happening?

Sam lifted his head properly now, though the strange way it tilted as he did was somewhat alarming. "Come here, Dean. I want to feel you." It was hardly Sam's usual tone and Dean knew it was something his brother would never say. Chills ran down his spine as he backed away, "I need you, Dean."

"Sammy, I'm gonna fix you, okay? Just hang in there." He tried to sound reassuring though he knew the fear was starting to show.

But the half sobbing voice didn't come back, instead Dean found himself running for the door with something far more terrifying following him behind.

* * *

" _Is that what it was? Was that really you?"_  



	8. Aeterna: High Priest Dean

**Primary World: Part 8**

"SAM!" Dean nearly shrieked as he bolted from the house, barely dodging a swing from his brother's arm that wound up splintering the front door. The night air was cold and bit into Dean's skin fast, luckily his blood was running hot, his heart pounding feverishly. He skittered in the grass and spun around to see Sam's form standing stiffly in the entrance, his head tilted to the side with a sick smile taking over his mouth. "We can beat this, Sammy." Dean sputtered.

"Why did you leave? I thought you said you loved me? You need me?" Sam croaked, his few steps forward were somehow twisted, his tone of voice a mixture of apathy and seduction that Dean was far from comfortable with. Nothing of the tone sounded like his brother, Sam wouldn't ever speak to him that way. "I guess I was wrong."

"Sam-" The words wouldn't come to him, not as he watched the way that  _thing_  distorted his brother. Sam's laugh, a sound Dean always loved, came out so wrong, disgustingly vulgar and it nearly made him sick.  _'Killing you can't be the only way.'_  He thought desperately, slowly backing away from Sam's ambling advance. "I can figure this out, give me some time." He couldn't think straight, not knowing that Castiel was out here, knowing that he intended to kill Sam and this would be the perfect time. He hadn't considered the fact that he was trying to bargain with a monster, though. All he could see was his little brother, and in that grotesque tone of voice he could hear Sam. Sam was still  _in_  there, he could feel it.

"Why did you leave me?" Sam repeated and started to sound a little irritated, his eyes twitching as his hands lifted toward his head.

"I never left you, Sam." Dean protested immediately, "I'm right here, see? I'm right here, like always. I'll never leave you Sammy."

Sam pressed his hands to the sides of his skull and pushed, fingers digging into the brown hair and nails embedded into his skin. "Make it… stop… Make it stop!" He started to scream; it grew louder and louder like someone was twisting a knife in his brain.

Dean knew what was going on, the flood of memories was hitting it now, the monster was fully awake and Sam's presence was going to slip from the surface. But that didn't mean he was gone, it just meant he was buried deeper and Dean would have to do some digging to get him out. "Sam, hang in there." He could feel his legs trembling, all of his muscles tight and anxiously waiting for something, anything to help him out. And at the same time fear coursed along with all the rest of his feelings; he was scared that he'd lose Sam, afraid that Sam would do something he'd regret when he woke again, the whole situation terrified him. But he didn't run, he waited right where he stood, his little brother needed him.

Sam's screams stopped and his arms loosened on his head, blood trickling down his cheek and along his jaw from where he'd punctured the flesh with his nails. Like dead weights his arms fell to his sides, body swaying slightly as if testing his balance, feet shifting in the grass and adjusting. Every little movement was subtle and quiet; the flex of his hands, twitch of his shoulders or lifting of his chest was so smooth Dean would have thought it was Sam again. Except for the way he stared, something murderous in the bright eyes of his brother, dark and lurking there. It was sharp, that glare was strong enough to strike Dean's core and shake him until he knew the anxiety in his muscles was only fear. He was afraid, not of Sam but of what was in him.

The next moment was a blur, Dean inhaled sharply but it was cut short by a hand that gripped his windpipe shut. Sam had moved so quickly and suddenly that Dean barely had the chance to react. On a different day, in a different setting, he'd have anticipated Sam's actions and would have no problem with reaction time. But fear did funny things to the nervous system.

"Sam…" He wheezed, voice pinching into more of a pained whine as his eyes fluttered open and closed, unable to make up their mind. "Samm..y…" His hands were grasping at Sam's arms and weakening fast, he squeezed his brother's bicep loosely. All a failing attempt to get him to let go, to coax Sam out again. As the corners of his vision started to fade Dean could hear something muffled, he thought for a moment it was a shout for him, someone screaming his name. His head fell back as far as Sam would let it, mind jostled and losing its grip. It kind of sounded like Cas, if he concentrated.

In the transition from consciousness Dean was snapped back around, complete delirium shaking him up and causing more of a panicked flail than he'd meant. Sam's hands were off of him and he found himself lying in the grass, coughing and hacking to the point he thought he might puke. As much as he would have enjoyed remaining there and pretending none of this was happening, he had to get up, he forced himself onto his hands and knees again. Dean was barely able to get a handle on himself before he felt someone else pulling him to his feet.

"Dean?" Jet's voice was the first thing he realized he'd heard. "Breathe, man, breathe."

"Sam." Dean groaned, "Where's Sam-" He stopped when he saw Castiel perched above his littler brother, a foot pressed down against Sam's chest and some strange looking gun aimed toward his head. "Don't you dare!" Dean shouted, scrambling away from Jet and bolting across the lawn.

Castiel's arm hesitated, his fingers stiff at the trigger. He was staring down at a monster that looked like Sam Winchester; something he'd never imagined doing or ever wanted. Sam was the beautiful young man who had all but brought Castiel to his Dean in the first place. A chance encounter in the market place led to a relationship that Cas would never change, even if that meant it ended the same way. "Goodbye, Sam." He whispered for the second time in his life, "I love you."

He could hear Dean, every frantic babbling sound that came from him, but he wasn't worried. Even if Dean ran into him he'd never have the strength to move him.

And just as he was about to pull the trigger he found out how wrong he was. Dean's fist connected with his jaw and sent him rocketing in the opposite direction. The shot rang out from his Pernach pistol but missed its target, crashing into the dirt next to Sam's head. Castiel lifted his hand to his face and looked up bewilderedly at Dean; no regular human could do that to him. "You finally woke up." He growled, shifting his weight onto his other hand and pushing himself up again.

"You!" Dean pointed at him, "Get away from my little broth-" He was cut short as Jet grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hurled him to the ground a few feet away. "Jet! What the hell man!?" He rolled over to see his best friend's hands holding tight to Sam's shoulders, legs braced and feet slowly digging into the lawn. Sam had gotten up again, so quickly, Dean imagined he owed Jet a great deal for that move.

"Sam," Jet strained to keep his hold on the thing that he long understood wasn't Sam anymore, the strength of the monster slowly over powering him. "C'mon buddy, I know you're in there. Your brother's trying  _very_  hard to keep you safe, but you almost killed him." He'd locked into a solid staring contest with it, he could see every little difference the demoni made in Sam's gaze, the warmth gone and only a cold detachment left in its place. He could see hatred and even thought for a second he'd been able to make out the look of insanity. Although he couldn't quite see Sam in there, he believed Dean. "I know you don't want to kill him, Sam."

Dean slowly stood up, eyes shifting over to Castiel's location where the priest held his gun aimed at Sam but his gaze was firmly on Dean. While he didn't understand what Castiel was expecting, he didn't care as long as there would be no more shots fired at his little brother. Dean turned his attention back to Sam, watching the malicious intent settling there. The demoni in him would make him kill the people closest to him, the ones that Sam loved most; meaning Dean had been a pretty big target. He wasn't too surprised to see Jet was another one.

"You may want to help your friend." Castiel spat bitterly.

Dean frowned, what was he talking about? Jet was doing fantastically. Dean had barely been able to fight against Sam when he'd started strangling him, which was weird because Sam had never been stronger than him. But Jet was holding his own, sure he was slipping a little but it was giving Dean a second to figure the situation out. "Jet's got him," he answered quickly, wracking his brain for an answer.

"He can't do anything but hold on," Cas adjusted his combination gun and rolled his shoulders to get a kink out, "It's a matter of time before the demoni wins this skirmish."

While Dean was sure Castiel had more experience with these things he knew Jet and that guy could handle just about anything.

"I know you're thinking your best friend can do this, Dean. But get your head out of your own ass for a second and really  _look_. Those things aren't weak; they easily knock a human aside with the swing of an arm. Are you really just going to stand there?"

"I need to save Sam, Jet gets that, it's why he's doing this." Dean would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit of pressure at that moment. Cas wasn't wrong, Jet's body wouldn't hold out for him no matter how determined he was to help.

"I've got it but hurry up, man!" Jet called over, "He looks like he's slipping." 

Worried now, Dean glanced over at Castiel's disturbingly still form. "How long does Sam have in there?"

"It depends on Sam." Cas shook his head, "But I'd wager an hour, maybe half."

" _What_!?" Dean shouted at the same time Jet's body had to give out, his legs buckled as Sam forced him to his knees. Dean snapped his head back and ran to his friend's aid for another failed attempt at a rescue. Sam caught him by the throat again but this time threw him across the yard and out of his way, turning attention back to Jet who struggled to stand again but couldn't with the monster's hand pressing him down, digging into his shoulder, the other hand twitched each finger before clenching into a fist.

"If Sam's psyche is shaken too badly he'll give in faster. From what I know, once he's been completely over taken there's no saving him." Castiel explained solemnly, his hand steady on the trigger now, "And knowing Sam, if someone dies by his hand he'll be broken up about it."

"Of course he will!" Dean's raised voice was close to a roar as he charged again, his heart racing and beating erratically. He was about to watch his brother kill his friend, he was going to watch Sam lose himself and in turn be gone forever too. He couldn't lose them both.

The tension of the moment choked them and almost seemed to slow everything down to a crawl; Castiel's anxious swallow as his finger loosened as he watched Dean's scrambled steps in the grass. Sam's arm lifted and flexed back, Jet saw it all coming back down on him and he closed his eyes in waiting. The air was still and everything muffled into a silence in those last seconds, Castiel couldn't watch this, he turned away in order to block another image from his memory that he'd never forget. The silence all but exploded with Dean's screaming protest, Cas first thought he knew what that meant, that he was too late but a blinding light that followed said otherwise.

He looked up and stared in amazement at the sight; Dean had managed to catch Sam in the act, tearing him down to the ground with a hand plastered to his chest, the other cupping his cheek. The light was erupting from both of their bodies; gleaming and making night look like day. "Sammy, I've got you," Dean's voice sounded broken, and it only took one second for Castiel to figure out why. Jet hadn't escaped the swing; he'd been knocked several feet away and was completely motionless. Cas couldn't make out any details of him from where he stood but his assumption was that it couldn't be pretty.

"Sam, it's okay." Dean's voice cracked as tears slipped from his eyes, dripping off his nose and onto Sam's shocked face. "I've got you, you're going to be okay." It was more of a prayer than a fact, Castiel noted, as Dean's hands glowed brighter. The light pushed through Sam's body, flowing through it entirely. It was mesmerizing to watch but it was hard to focus on the beauty of it, Cas was holding his breath and waiting for the result, to see if it worked. He'd never seen it done before so he really had no idea. As the glow slowly settled down it suddenly started to pulsate and gather, all of it into the same place. Cas' heart beat out of time, that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't working.

Dean's face lit up as the glow seemed to implode on itself, he quickly focused on Sam's face to see if there was any difference. The look of shock was still there, horrified and scared, but it was starting to relax. Hazy eyes blinked a few times before tears came to them, just a few at first but they started to rush out like they'd been held behind a dam. "Dean…" Sam squeaked, taking a shuddering breath, "What's going on? What did I do?"

"Sam," Dean laughed as relief washed over him, "Sammy you didn't do anything. It's okay now."

Castiel lowered his gun and turned away, his hand covering his mouth as he held back the pain in his chest. Sam was okay. Sam was alive. "Thank you." He whispered to no one in particular, just grateful for it to be true.

"Fuck…" Jet groaned as he pushed himself over and startled the priest.

"He's not dead?" Cas snapped out the words incredulously without the realization he was pointing too.

"No, m'not dead." Jet sat up, stopped when he realized it was a bad idea and laid back down. "But damn it, Dean," he laughed and rolled his head to look at his buddy, a half smirk on his lips, "had to kick me that hard?"

"Dude, you were stuck and about to die, what do you want from me?" Dean laughed as he lifted Sam up into his lap (as much of him that would fit, anyway) and hugged him close.

"A medal." Jet muttered, "Of honour and glory, 'n shit."

Sam smiled through the tears, his head resting against Dean's chest as he listened to his heartbeat, a reminder that his big brother hadn't died because of him. "I'll make you one, Jet."

"Thanks Sam." He snickered and carefully glanced down to look at the damage on his shoulder.

Castiel lifted the back of his coat and slipped his gun away inside, dropping the fabric he walked over to the deliriously happy threesome on the lawn. He couldn't help the smile on his face either, though, pushing up his cheeks and brightening his eyes as he knelt down next to Sam and Dean. "You're lucky, Sam." He said warmly, ignoring the way Dean tensed up at his presence. "To have someone like Dean around."

Sam looked up at his brother for a moment before returning his gaze to the priest, "Thanks, Cas. And… thank you for everything."

"Don't," Cas stood up again, "I would have killed you."

"I know." Sam smiled at him, an expression that nearly knocked him off his feet. Castiel blinked down at him for a short time before he scoffed softly and shook his head, Dean wished he could figure out what the guy was thinking when he looked at Sam like that. 

"Uh… guys?" Jet piped up again, his tone was nervous and Dean was the first to pay his friend any attention, he'd fought alongside Jet often enough in his life to know when something was up. Jet was sitting up now and looking over to something in the grass a little ways away from him.

Castiel looked over to see the shadowy figure of the demoni hauling itself up from the grass. It looked injured but no less alive. "Oh… you just exorcised it." He mused.

"Is that…" Dean held tighter to Sam, his little brother's hands clinging a little harder right back.

"It is." Cas smirked and drew his pistol again, safety off and aimed at the thing's head. "It's weakened, lost its protective skin when it possessed your brother." He explained whilst casually approaching the thing. "Say goodnight, you son of a bitch."

Dean covered Sam's ears as the shot rang out, the younger Winchester bristling at the sound. The monster froze in place but didn't fall, its body twitched and flailed for a few seconds before it completely disintegrated. The particles took flight in the air, floating around like one of those magical movie moments that Dean thought he'd remember for a long time. Castiel uttered a few words no one else understood and waved his hand over the air pollution in front of him, each separated piece vanished in the passing of his limb. 

"What the fuck…" Jet wheezed slightly from his spot on the lawn and dropped onto his back again.

"Yeah." Dean agreed breathlessly, eyeing Castiel's back as he stowed his gun one more time. There were so many things that should have been asked at that point but all Dean could do was marvel at this man. Showed up in their town, spooked him, mooched off him, threatened Sam, and saved their lives. Despite already knowing a bit, Dean wanted to know more. Who was Castiel? And now that he'd saved them, what was he going to do?

Cas looked over at him as if reading his mind. For a moment they just looked at one another but Castiel's face flinched, just slightly but the motion was there and Dean witnesed it. He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily, "Get ready."

"For what?" Dean raised an eyebrow and expected an immediate answer but it didn't come, instead he found himself flying. The ground vanished from below him, Sam vanished from his arms, and all he knew was that the world around him spun in a way he didn't understand. Dean's words erupted in a scream as he flailed dramatically unil he landed on his stomach with a profound 'oof'.

"Get up." He could see Castiel's boots standing just in front of him, the jacket he wore level with his ankles and nearly tickling Dean's nose.

"What happened? Where's Sam-"

"He's fine, probably just a bit freaked out." Cas interrupted, reaching down and hauling Dean to his feet. "Come on."

Dean frowned deeply and looked up at where Castiel was indicating. There, right in front of him was an enormous gate up a few short steps. "Where are we?"

"We've been summoned to meet with the Faith's servants."

"What?" Dean made a face, his tone somewhat annoyed and possibly sounding stupid to Castiel.

Cas rolled his eyes again, yep, definitely sounded stupid. "Many worlds have different names for it, yours, I believe, would call it Heaven."

"Say what?" Dean's jaw dropped as he stared up at the gates again.

"Shut up." Was the last reply as Castiel took to the stairs.


	9. In Between: Time to Get Serious

**In Between**

"Cas," Dean followed the priest's footsteps easily enough, not really trying to be a nuisance or anything, but he had so many questions and Cas, who seemed to know where he was going perfectly, moved like the freaking wind. "Cas, hold up man. What the hell is going on? Why are we in heaven?  _How_?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Castiel answered curtly though without his usual bitterness. It was odd, to see him in this lighting, it was so bright but not to the point of blinding. It was comfortable, like a soft glow on everything he could see. Castiel was no different; his pale skin illuminated like the angels Dean expected to see. Maybe he'd already seen one, maybe he was looking at one right in that moment. Cas glanced at him and the little way his eyes widened caught Dean off guard, Castiel's neutral expression snapped to surprised, pained, and 'I'm out of your league' in the span of a second. Dean had no idea what went through the priest's mind but he had a feeling if he asked he'd get a fist first.

"They want to meet you." Cas relinquished the information finally though Dean still didn't quite get it.

"Who?"

"The ones who made me a high priest of the faith, they're holy beings that have many names just like the place they reside. You can call them what you like."

"So… angels?" Dean asked, a little light in his eyes that suggested there might be a story behind the question.

"I… suppose. Though you may come across 'angels' in other worlds. I've noticed that they're becoming more frequent lately. A lot of things are changing on the mainline." Cas folded his arms behind his back as he stopped in front of what Dean perceived as a wall. "Do what I do." He instructed calmly before walking into and through what Dean thought was solid.

"Uh… alright then. Wow." He didn't have many words lined up to express half the things going through his mind. It had been a long and awful day already, he was exhausted and sore and ready to curl up and sleep, or at least he'd felt that way before getting to 'paradise'. Dean felt awake, alert, hell, he felt better than he had in years. Maybe that was just what the place did to him, or something. He had no idea anymore. Just a lot of questions, millions of questions.

Castiel strolled into the room and after a sweeping bow he lowered himself to the floor, on one knee he glanced back at Dean who was in awe of the view. Three beautifully cloaked beings stood across from them, though there was a significant distance in between. They glowed like everything else though much brighter, all with their faces mostly covered, the only skin showing was what could be seen around their eyes. "Dean," Cas whispered, catching his attention again.

"Hm?" Dean furrowed his brow when the priest nodded his head downward, at first unsure what he meant until he remembered the 'do what I do' instructions. "Oh. Right." He hadn't quite paid attention to every move so he dropped onto one knee beside Cas, the dark-haired male shaking his head and rolling his eyes at how graceless it all was.

"Holiness," He started after another pause of silence, "Why have you summoned us?"

"Because your partner needs to be sworn in." Dean heard the voice but could hardly believe it, it sounded so familiar and yet completely foreign. Beautiful though, absolutely beautiful. He smiled to himself, pretty much missing the point of that conversation. Sensory overload was kicking in, or was already settled in his brain.

Castiel looked over at him, that pained look returning and mixing with the blue in his eyes. Dean wished he knew why Castiel looked that way, why he only looked at  _him_  that way. "Dean," Cas spoke gingerly, "That's you. Step forward."

"Wait, what?" Dean snapped his head up toward the holy beings, "His  _partner_? I'm his partner? How? Why?" He pulled himself to standing again and walked closer, the one in the center lifting its hand to him. Dean froze and watched the light formulating around the delicate limb extended his way, "Wait, hold on. I can't do what he does; I need to stay with my brother." His protests weren't heard, it seemed, as a soft chanting filled the room. "Hey! Listen to me!" Dean shouted but the weight of his anger was lost when he found himself floating mid-air, his clothing starting to shred off his body like it was made of silk and never really on him in the first place.

Castiel slowly rose, watching silently as he curled his bottom lip in. Dean's body was different than the one he'd known, it was stronger, the muscles were more prominent, he'd been able to eat properly. It was nice to see him healthier, to see his figure without the definition of his spine. Though in addition to that Cas had to keep his eyes away from the unseemly parts of Dean's body, focusing on the center of his back where a symbol started to burn its path. Dean's muscles flinched and flexed backward, his mouth open in a silent scream, face twisting to the pain. It was like being branded, Castiel remembered. The searing pain as his flesh lit up in holy fire, the outline and design of their symbol burning into him.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut as the pain subsided, slowly drifting away and fading as a smooth cloth slid up his back and over his skin. It was cool, felt brand new but like it was made for him. Carefully his eyelids lifted, his feet clad in combat boots touching down onto the reflective floor below him. He looked up bewildered then back at Castiel for an answer, not missing the soft expression of someone unsure on his face. "Cas?"

"Yes?" His voice was gentle, quiet and lost.

Of all the questions swarming in his head Dean couldn't help but ask just the one, "Are you okay?"

The way Castiel's eyes seemed to snap into focus again and how his breath hitched made Dean worry, "I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good," Dean looked down at himself for the first time to realize he was wearing the same styled outfit as Castiel, the long coat, tight-fitting pants, and the boots. "Whoa… So wait, is this a matching outfit or a uniform?"

"Uniform." Cas replied, moving to his side and looking up at the celestials, he wasn't sure what to say to them. He finally had a partner, someone to work with, someone to spend the days with. And it was another Dean Winchester. Part of him felt giddy but the rest of him had to question the thought process that went behind all of it. What were they thinking, pairing him with Dean? After everything, how could they do this to him? It's like they expected he'd properly healed from the ordeal or something. And though he wished that were true, he couldn't say so without lying.  _'Try to focus on the good, Castiel.'_ He told himself and glanced Dean over one more time,  _'At least you won't be alone anymore.'_

Dean glanced back to see Cas' gaze looking over his newly dressed form and raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Looks good on you." Castiel was quick to answer; he knew he'd been caught so there was no point in trying to act as if he were doing anything other than checking Dean out.

"You have been Castiel's partner since before you were born, Dean Winchester." One of the celestials started to speak, the same one as before and Dean was wondering if maybe it was the only that did.

"Don't give me that destiny crap, I'm telling you I can't leave my brother." Dean crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze steady as he stared at the holy beings. "I don't care what-ow!" He glared over at Castiel who'd cracked him in the back of the head. "What'd you do that for?"

"You can't stay, Dean. Not after your abilities have woken." Cas' usual tone was back, bite and all.

"Why not?" He snapped right back, angling himself to face Cas better.

"Because the void creatures are drawn to us, it's part of being a high priest." The low growl of his voice would have sent a shiver through Dean if he weren't pissed off by it.

"I don't  _want_  to be a priest!"

"You don't get to choose!"

"Gentlemen," The room seemed to dim a little as the gentle voice washed over them again, "Do you understand what relies on you?"

"Yes." Castiel said without looking away from Dean, the venom on his tongue audible.

"No, and I don't care to know." Dean growled right back, mostly aimed at Castiel.

"If you  _don't_  help me," Castiel's anger was growing to the point that Dean thought he could hear it rumbling in the room. "Everyone will die.  _Everyone_ , you understand? That includes your best friend,  _that means Sam_. Dean, if you don't leave your brother you'll lose your brother."

Dean fell silent, his face caving in as the thought hit him, and it hit hard. That wasn't much of a choice and from the sounds of it he had none. It wasn't fair; it was like blackmail on one of the highest forms, wasn't it? He furrowed his brow and glared toward the celestials, "Is that true?"

The silence continued until the middle one nodded, "Yes. I'm afraid it is, Dean. And I can't say how long it'll take, either."

"But…" Dean looked down and clenched his fists, his mind only able to think of one thing; what about Sam? "When do I have to go?"

"At your leisure, you may depart whenever you are ready."

' _Like I'll ever be ready…'_  Dean headed back toward the doors, his heart deflated as he went, ignoring the sound of Castiel's footsteps behind him. Part of him knew he should be ecstatic for this; to be given an opportunity to help save something he hadn't known was in danger. But he just couldn't bring himself around to that way of thinking. Not after everything he'd gone through with Sam, promising to stay with him. Of course, saving his little brother's life came first, he could complain about the time he'd missed after that.

They descended the staircase after the gates, Dean falling in line behind Castiel, he had nothing to say and Cas seemed to be in the same kind of mood. The silence around them felt thick, the longer they went without talking the more Dean felt his blood boil. "You have something to say, right?" He finally spouted, watching his new partner's pace toward their exit.

Castiel stopped and glanced back at him, eyes sharp and cold. "People often need to lose something to realize it's value, but not you. You already know the value of your brother's life, you know it and still you'd want to stay home. Take it from someone who knows, Dean, it's much easier to go on knowing he's still alive somewhere, not a corpse you had to bury yourself."

Dean's brow furrowed together, he had expected something a little more insulting. "So… who did you lose?"

"My husband." Castiel stated simply, motioning for Dean to follow him through a hazy wall a little ways ahead of them. Dean's expression was frozen in shock at Castiel, and yet it all seemed to fit at the same time. He would have asked further but Castiel disappeared into the cloud, completely gone from Dean's view.

"Cas…" He felt an ache for the other man, his chest hurting a little as he ran into what he could only assume was safe. The wall was more like vapour though it felt like nothing. Dean's body lifted from where his footsteps fell, floating now and moving through something that felt ridiculously like what he thought space would always feel like. He didn't want to think he was in space but it was kind of fun to imagine it. Dean lifted his head to see Cas waiting for him before another cloudy space ahead. "How did he…" Dean wasn't sure if he could finish the sentence, not after seeing the way Castiel's eyes darted away from him.

"A demoni, just like the one that had Sam." He explained softly. "Back then I didn't know what was going on or what was wrong with him. The holy beings you just met saved my life… They uh…" Cas turned away, his intention to continue on and leave but Dean's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "They showed me how to use my power, by example." His voice was low, quiet and Dean could've sworn he heard a subtle shift of pain in there as well.

"They made you kill him?" He bit out, his own voice sounding hoarse just from the thought of it.

Castiel was quiet for a long moment after but he nodded finally, "Yes." The word was simple and it gave all the answers that Dean needed, but somehow it was stronger than that. He'd received a little bit of insight as to who Castiel was and the more he got to know the more he realized that he'd misjudged him. Neither said another word as they passed through the second haze, Dean wondering partially if this was any good for his health.


	10. Aeterna: Departure

**Primary World: Part 9**

It had only been ten minutes. Maybe. Sam's face had creased into a worried grimace as he sat beside the couch. His legs folded under him in a way that he didn't care to consider, despite his left foot starting to fall asleep. Sam drummed his fingers anxiously on the edge of the cushion near Dean's arm, brushing past the fabric every now and then.

"Sam, calm down alright? They're fine." Jet spoke soothingly, his hand on Sam's shoulder rubbing gentle circles into his skin. But Sam would have none of it, smacking Jet's hand away and leaning over the couch where he'd laid Dean.

"They  _collapsed_ , Jet. They both just crumpled to the ground like they'd lost their spines. Tell me again how that's 'fine'?!" He snapped, his nose flaring as he inhaled deeply around his anger. Frustration and worry melted into the same feeling of useless as he sat at Dean's side, watching how calm his brother looked. Normal creases in his face were smoothed, his eyelids didn't even flutter; it was starting to drive Sam up the wall. It'd been maybe ten minutes but that was ten minutes too long. Dean was breathing, he'd checked that much at least. His brain was getting oxygen and his heart was beating, sending blood to his limbs.

He looked fine. If Sam hadn't been right there when it happened he would have thought Dean was asleep.

Jet leaned against the couch and reached down to poke Dean's cheek, "C'mon man, get up and show Sam you're fine."

"Jet…" Sam grumbled defensively, flicking his hand away from Dean's face. "Don't."

The older male shrugged and moved to Castiel's side, double-checking that he was also still breathing. "I'm telling you, this has got to be something to do with this punk, here." He muttered mostly to himself though loud enough for Sam to hear.

"I hope you're right." Sam's voice fell soft as he dropped his head against Dean's arm. His brother was all he had, really. Dean was the only thing in the world he couldn't imagine losing and after everything they'd been through together already he never wanted to think about it.

A few more minutes went by, Sam didn't move an inch, stubbornly keeping his head against the warmth of Dean's skin, making sure it stayed that way. In doing this he missed when Dean's eyes opened. The older brother glanced to the heavy weight on his arm, eyes flicking up to where Jet crouched, a grin on the brunette's face. Dean motioned toward Sam very gently so as not to alert him to the movement. Jet mouthed a few words Dean could only assume were 'he was scared.' He had to say something to end it, if that's really how Sam was feeling.

"Hey, Sammy." Dean mumbled tiredly, his eyes half-lidded as he watched Sam's head jerk up to meet his gaze.

"Dean? You're okay?" Sam shuffled a bit closer though he was already plastered against the couch. The sharp tingling of his sleeping foot shocking him a little and the way his voice cracked next would be forever blamed on exactly that. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"Long story," Dean started to sit up, looking around a little bewildered, "How long have I been out?"

"Ten minutes, tops." Jet called over, standing up straight and crossing his arms over his chest, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Sam. "I figured you'd be fine."

Dean smirked, "Sure you did, man." He looked over at Sam who was busying himself with standing as well, the telltale signs of 'I didn't really care that much' lie embedded in his features. "Sorry," Dean decided to go for an apology rather than being a dick. Sam looked stressed and didn't need the added crap.

Sam glanced over at him and smiled, relief clear in his face, "It's okay, you came back."

Castiel stood and rolled his head around, "I hate when they do that." He mumbled grumpily, hand running up through his hair to fix any damage done. "Dean, let me know when you're ready."

Dean gripped the side of the couch, the sound scratching into his ears but not helping to numb the feeling in him. "Right…"

"Ready?" Sam furrowed his brow and looked between them, "Ready for what?"

Dean almost couldn't bring himself to look at his brother, but the nagging feeling that he may never get the chance to again hauled his chin up. Sam's face was twisted in a worried stare but despite that he was still beautiful, the little twerp that Dean had all but raised on his own had grown up great and after all was said and done, he'd continue to be amazing. With or without Dean there. It hurt to think of it, to imagine Sam without him, to imagine life without Sam, but some things needed to be done. "I'm his partner." He explained softly, biting the inside of his cheek as he watched the reaction crawl across Sam's face.

"What?" Sam almost laughed it out, a nervous kind of sound that sunk into his movement and tightened his facial features until the concern was barely masked. "As in his 'travel the many worlds' partner?"

Dean exchanged a glance with Castiel who turned away, the hard-ass, bitter man apparently not good at this kind of thing either. "Basically, yeah." He could hardly look at Sam's face as his brother stared at him, mouth opened slightly as his eyes narrowed in thought. "And it looks like I have to leave-"

"I'm coming with." Sam interrupted, his expression tensing as he leaned forward, shoulders stiff and posture almost threatening. Dean opened his mouth to protest but Sam continued to speak over him, "There's nothing you can say that'll change my mind, Dean. Before you say another word, just know that if you leave I've got no one."

Dean frowned, "What about Bobby? Ellen, Jo, Rufus-"

"What about them, Dean? I get to see them on holidays or special occasions, hurray, I'll be fine." Sam's jaw was clenched as he spoke, the humour completely drained from his voice.

"And me?" Jet crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head as he furrowed his brow.

Sam glanced over at him but didn't address it more than that, "Dean, I'm coming with."

"That's ridiculous." Castiel turned back toward the conversation with bite in his tone, "Sam, you aren't capable of surviving out there. You can't defend yourself against what we'll be facing, it's suicide for you to go, and it'd be stupid of us to let you come with."

"I don't care, you aren't taking my brother out of here without me." Sam remained firm on his choice, face determined and stance rigid.

"Sam," Dean started softly, "You… are the most well-adjusted guy I know; you have a ton of friends at school and you're the last one to ignore the people that care about you." He glanced over at Jet who's gaze had shifted from Sam to Castiel, watching the stranger vacantly. "Bobby would come see you if you needed him, Ellen would visit, Jo would possibly even move in to take up my space, and Jet's always here. I don't get why you're saying you only have me."

Sam bristled a little, his expression softening as he turned back toward his brother, "You caught me," he sounded a little surprised as he spoke, "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you." Dean's face told enough without him having to say 'aw, Sammy' out loud. "Yeah, you're right, I have a lot of friends and tons of people around me to keep me company. I'd survive you leaving, I'd get over it, but I don't think  _you_  can survive you leaving. And before you give me that 'What the hell are you talking about' look, hear me out." Sam's angry exterior all but melted as he swallowed past a growing lump in his throat. "You spent so much time taking care of me, and now the only people you have are the same that I have. But you're the one leaving, you can't go see any of them, you can't… see me."

Dean was quiet for a long moment, no one said anything and for a second he forgot that Cas and Jet were present. At least until one of them spoke up, "Dean's going to have a job to do out there, Sam." Jet crossed the room to better center himself in Sam's vision. "He can't spend his time looking out for you. It's dangerous, remember what happened to me?"

Sam tried not to look at the marks on Jet's arms and shoulders, where his shirt had ripped and dark bruises peered through like hateful eyes, reminding him. "I'm sorry-"

"It wasn't you, it was one of those void monster things." Jet corrected him quickly, "But that doesn't matter, does it? There's like, what, thousands of these things? What the hell are you going to do when one of those comes at you?"

Sam stood his ground, glaring Jet right in the eye, "I'll fight it."

"You?" Jet's tone wasn't mocking but it definitely didn't indicate belief in any way, "I don't think so. A  _weakened_  version of that thing did this to me, did  _that_  to Dean's neck. You aren't either one of us, Sam."

"Then what the hell do you expect me to do?!" Sam shouted, still refusing to back down. "Dean can't go into this alone, I'll never see him again!"

"Maybe he has to," Castiel interrupted, "He's been burdened with saving the known worlds right along with me. Sam, he's doing this to save you, so he can see you again." He tried to take a more reassuring tone, something that always used to work on the Sam that he used to know. It looked like it made a difference in Sam's rigidity, his shoulders lowering and head angling back down. "It may be better for you to stay here."

Dean furrowed his brow but he'd already come to terms with this, he couldn't stay with Sam. If Cas and Jet could get it across without him having to argue with his little brother, then all the power to them.

Jet raised an eyebrow and shook his head, "No, Sam's going with."

"What?" All three looked to him then, the same word falling out of each mouth in a different tone of voice. Dean was curious, hopeful even, Sam was surprised, and Cas teetered on the edge of severe annoyance.

"I said Sam's going with. The point I was making is that Dean can't protect him, doesn't mean I can't." Jet's mouth quirked up in a smirk, catching Dean's excited expression in his peripheral. Sam grinned and high-fived their long-standing friend as Dean rose to hug them both. Castiel on the other hand rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling, as if he expected a protest from the light bulb.

"Thank you," Dean whispered into the three-way hug with his brother and best friend, his tough skin cracking to show the emotional tidal wave he'd be smashed with. Sam squeezed him harder, the comfort of the gesture only making Dean's eyes sting a little more. He never had to say anything for Sam to know; to know that he was afraid of being alone, of losing everyone he loved and never being able to be around them again. Dean never had to speak a word for either of them to know that Sam coming with was inevitable, not just a whim on a prayer.

"You're welcome," Sam said as they separated; Jet nodding his agreement though finding no reason to really say it, like it was obvious he'd do it to begin with.

"Fine." Cas huffed and looked at them, "But if you all die don't come crying to me."

"We'll be dead so I don't think that'll be an issue." Jet chided, trying not to laugh.

"Right, but if Sam does and you don't, I don't want to hear about it." Cas dropped himself onto the couch next to Dean and folded his arms together, "You two pack your shit, we'll leave as soon as you're ready."

"Two? Dean needs to pack too-" Sam started but stopped when Cas' gaze snapped to him.

"Dean's coat has everything he needs."

"My what?" Dean furrowed his brow, looking down at himself. He knew that his spirit or whatever it was that went to heaven wound up in the same uniform as Cas, but he woke up in his usual clothes. He regretted asking nearly immediately, the roll of those blue eyes struck his pride hard. If this priest could get any sassier Dean thought he might have to deck him.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" Cas muttered, walking over to Dean and lifting a hand over his head. "I'm going to activate it for you, alright? Once I do I want you to pay attention to how it feels. You can control this kind of thing, and a lot more if you don't ignore it." Despite annoyance and 'do I have to' attitude, Castiel's voice was tender, bordering on intimate for a moment before he corrected himself.

Dean closed his eyes and focused, he didn't know exactly on what but he focused anyway. Nothing happened for the longest time and he wondered if maybe he was doing it wrong, when a tingle started in his brain and drew all attention to it. It didn't hurt, it felt like some lightly brushing over his skin but on the inside of his skull somehow. And even when the tingle stopped he could still feel the area it'd come from, sitting there and waiting for him to access it again. An awareness in his mind sparked, like little firecrackers behind his eyelids and all along his nervous thoughts. It was amazing, really. He wouldn't know how to describe it in any way, all he knew was that he felt his eyes roll back and his head tilt up. All the while the feeling over his skin changed, the cloth he'd been wearing slid away and in its place sat something more familiar than he'd care to admit. He didn't know how or why it was, he just knew he recognized it. Like it was meant for him in a way.

"Did you get that?" Castiel's voice broke his drifting attention span and dragged it back to the living room. For a moment Dean thought he'd heard longing in Cas' words but decided it was better not to ask. Cas knew him, he'd been pretty closed off about his past and his husband and everything else but Dean knew for sure that Cas knew him in some way or another. "Dean?"

"Yeah." Dean shook his head, stopping his mind from wandering again. "I got it."

"Good, I went slowly so you could get a good sense for it." Cas headed for the door, "They're done packing, let's go."

"Wha-?" Dean looked up to see that Sam and Jet were indeed ready with bags packed lightly with clothing and other possible essentials. Either he'd been out of it for a while or they just moved at the speed of light. He was pretty sure it was the latter, though it could have been possible that he'd sat in a daze for an hour. Who knew.

"Ready when you are Dean." Sam smiled brightly and somehow it was the most reassuring thing that had happened all day.

"I'm good to go." Dean grinned in return and stood, noting the flow of his coat behind him.

The three headed out the front door, all pausing in surprise to see Castiel standing in front of a severely distorted space just above the lawn. It wasn't easy to spot if you were passing by, but they had been looking for something out of the ordinary. Sam shifted excitedly, heading over to Cas' side and staring up at what he thought to be a portal. "Where does it go?"

"To the mainline worlds. There had been several closed off," Cas explained, knowing he'd said this before. "We're going to whichever one is closest and open."

"Awesome." Sam had many more questions to ask but he figured he'd done enough already. "Thanks, by the way." He looked over at Cas, a smile on his face.

Castiel furrowed his brow though it was hard to be annoyed with Sam, "What for?"

"For not saying no. If you had denied Jet and I, ultimately we couldn't really go, could we?"

A long silence followed as Jet and Dean caught up, their conversation something about Dean having 'nice digs'. "If there's no protest from my management then I can't rightly say no, can I?" What he wasn't saying was that he wanted Sam to come with; he wanted to be around him more, to see Sam do things, breathe;  _live._  It was somewhat therapeutic for him.

Sam recognized a 'I didn't feel like protesting' when he saw one, but didn't push it. "Thanks, all the same."

"You're welcome."

"Let's get this show on the road!" Jet cheered, slapping his buddy on the back, nearly causing Dean to face plant into the grass.

"Dude, I've barely gotten a rest after that fight, mind not doing that?" Dean laughed, shoving Jet right back.

Cas rolled his head around to crack his neck, shoulders flexing forward and back before he stepped into the portal, figuring he didn't need to say 'follow me.'

Sam paused after Jet jumped through, smiling at Dean reassuringly, "Ever stop to think our lives were boring?"

Dean smirked and looked back at their house, "Not once, Sammy. Not even once." He didn't know what kind of answer Sam was looking for but it seemed to do the trick, the younger Winchester hopped into the rift easily, like he was passing through a doorway. Dean inhaled deeply and approached, hesitating to look back at their home one more time. "Mom, dad," he whispered, "Watch out for us, wherever you are."

"Come on." Castiel leaned back through the rift, grabbing hold of Dean's coat and hauling him through, very unceremoniously and lacking any kind of grace whatsoever.

* * *

 

**Quick doodle of Sam and Dean**


	11. Back to the Future: Separated

**The Mainline**

The mainline was incredible. Dean stared at the vastness before him, he could see distant stars and yet his mind knew what they were, worlds, waiting or dormant. The mainline was lit up like a road floating in space, what looked like little fires floating all along the path to lead the way. Dean reached over and waved a hand over one, it wasn't hot. In fact looking closer it didn't even look like normal fire. It wavered when his hand passed over, flickering in colour and texture for a brief second before returning to the pale yellow it had been.

Castiel was already walking along, his stride calm and certain, like he'd done this a thousand times before. He had no patience for the silent awe that the three tag-alongs were stuck in though he really didn't have a choice to pause and wait for them.

"Why are some of the fires different colours?" Sam asked as his eyes followed down the trail, noting how different parts of the path split off and the pale yellow seemed to flare to a vibrant red in some areas, dark blue in others.

"They're signs," Cas moved his hand over the path ahead of him and it started to move beneath their feet, a moving walkway that didn't look entirely solid to begin with. Jet shifted uncomfortably but kept his mouth shut; he was the one with the bold statement to begin with so it'd be ridiculous to start complaining five minutes in. He'd wait for at least ten. "Depending on the colour, size, and pattern of the flame I can discern which worlds are of greater importance."

"So, I'm guessing red is a little worse?" Dean furrowed his brow and looked down a red pathway as they passed it.

"Somewhat, yes." Cas answered vaguely, stopping them in front of a fork in mainline, the two paths that seemed to lead to the same place wound up in different spaces. "This world has an alternate attached to it." He explained though no one asked about it.

Dean looked at it; he could see the swirling mass that must have been the world that Cas was talking about. The path on the one side was as pale yellow as everything else, but the left was a deep red like the others. He looked at the left side closely; he could feel something coming from it, like it'd been twisted somehow. "What… what's the point in doing all of this if those void monster things are all able to get in and destroy everything anyway? What's the point in killing just one?"

"When we take out the monsters that have crawled into the worlds, we're a step closer to wiping them out." Cas folded his arms over his chest and turned his head away, "It's not efficient but it's all we've got."

"There has to be something else." Sam frowned, "You'll never be able to do it like that."

"I wasn't aware you were an expert on all of this." Cas muttered sarcastically, walking down the left path to the opposite end of the world. "When a world has an alternate attached to it you need to be careful which side you enter. Ultimately it's fairly easy to get it right, the path splits for you to show the different routes."

"What happens if you get it wrong?" Dean walked up beside him, looking at the hazy space ahead of them.

"Mostly you just waste your time, but when we leave the mainline the clock starts to tick again; when we're between the worlds time slows and almost stands still for us. Just know that when we enter these worlds we may be thrown right into a mess, if the clock starts again and we aren't there to do something because we entered the wrong side, that's on us."

Dean nodded and adjusted himself, "Then I guess we go through and see what we find. Anything I need to know before going in?"

Cas chuckled, "Everything. You need to know everything." He ran a hand over the short hairs on the back of his neck in thought, "First off, this world has an alternate because there were various ways things could have ended up; this is just one of the two main ones but it seems they're having a bit of an infestation problem."

"How do you know all this?" Sam piped up again, his mind trying to take everything in all at once.

"It comes with time, Sam. I can see it, I can feel it, and the history of the world is open to me if I choose to listen to it." Cas sighed lightly, "I only look for the recent problems, though. I don't see a point in going over the entire history." He was about to go in when he realized he hadn't gone into a new world with additional people before. Cas looked at them but thought better of mentioning it, it was probably nothing really. They'd wind up in the same place.

Or so he figured, as he stepped inside.

* * *

**Back to the Future World: Part 1**

Castiel leaned against a fence put up around the group's fresh water supply, a small creek in Camp Chitaqua, his eyes sweeping over the landscape around him. It never used to be very interesting to look at but after building on the grounds and creating a real establishment to live in, he had to say he'd grown fond of it.

In 2014 the world had been pretty much over; Camp Chitaqua was their safe haven, their fort and base of operations. People hid there from the croats and demons, fighting off what they could for the longest time while Lucifer reigned. But that was 2014, it had been three years since then and things had lightened considerably. The battle with Lucifer went down in Detroit and it had ended in their favour, the second time around anyway.

Most people of Chitaqua didn't know how they'd won and most wouldn't bother asking because why question a good thing? No one knew that Castiel had been taken back in time, retrieved the Horsemen's rings from a past Sam and Dean and had taken over the planning himself. No one knew that Cas had seen their fate once, that they had all died once because of Dean's backstabbing decisions.

But it had been three years since then, Cas had knocked some sense into their 'fearless leader' when he tried to jump into the pit with Sam and everything had been better. Mostly, anyway. Something had cropped up in the last while and it wasn't something that they were used to dealing with. Monsters, not demons, crawled around in the abandoned and ruined cities of their past. Generally minding their own business until they sensed someone nearby. It was like horror movies all over again, these creatures were almost twice the size of a regular man but at least ten times stronger. They'd hunt down a person once their presence was known, catch them and skin them alive on the spot.

Cas had seen it at least five times now. Giant, clawed hands wrapping around the torso of a person and peeling away their flesh easily, like an expert peeling an apple. The screams were awful though it was hard to give Castiel nightmares anymore. If the monster had eaten them afterward it would have been a mercy, but that's not what those things did. The body was desecrated in every way imaginable and he really didn't intend on thinking too hard on it, the imagery was enough to make his stomach churn.

Dean was out. He and the others were on a mission to kill the bastards that were interrupting the original clean up. Apparently it was harder to take these things out than the croats because the teams seemed to be coming back with fewer and fewer fighters. Not that Cas didn't go with on occasion, but he tended to take turns with others, not wanting to wear himself out. As Cas stood and thought over the past and how things had gone right and then wrong again, something trembled above the water.

Cas took several steps away from the source, eyes focused on the space above their small creek. It wavered again, rippling like the air was water. It was surreal and in that moment Cas could have sworn he was dreaming again. But when a body fell out, flailing and thrashing into the water, he thought that there was no way he'd dream this up. He hadn't taken any drugs since before facing Lucifer so that was out. He stepped closer, eyes narrowing as he stared at the delirious person, they flailed somewhat and scrambled apart; it was two people completely entangled with one another.

"DUDE!" Jet shouted, "Are you still you!?" His hands pat all over his body to make sure he was in one piece, "We didn't fuse together?"

"Don't think so! No, no I don't think so." Dean was breathing just as heavily, eyes wide and staring at his friend whose expression was matching, if not more dramatic.

Cas' mouth quirked up in a smile as he watched them, "Dean?" He asked after a moment, letting them try and get their bearings straight. "Is that you?"

Dean looked up and frowned, "Yeah Cas, it's me. Who else do you think is wearing this stupid… get up…" He slowed down as he realized Cas wasn't in his cloak and, hell, he was _smiling_. "What happened? What'd I miss?"

Cas chuckled, "You aren't my Dean." He walked closer and leaned against the fence again, his arms crossed and hip out, just a little bit. "What time are you from?"

Dean looked at Jet then back at Cas, and back to Jet one more time. "You think there are other versions of us running around?"

"After everything, man, I wouldn't be surprised." Jet huffed, standing up and glaring down at himself. "I'm totally soaked, everything I packed is soaked. This is bullshit."

"Get over it." Dean muttered as he stood as well, looking back to Cas, "I'm uh… not from a specific  _time_. Try 'other world'."

Cas' eyebrows lifted and he laughed again, that smile still pulling his lips up and showing his age just a little. "No kidding? There are other worlds now?" He shook his head and sighed, eyes closing as he ran a hand down his face, "Oh, this isn't going to go over well with him."

"With who?"

"My Dean," Cas explained, his hands finding their way into his pockets. "We've been dealing with a bit of a situation lately, you came at a bad time."

"That's probably why we're here." Dean sloshed out of the creek, Jet right behind him. "Kind of like a clean up crew."

"Explain." Cas furrowed his brow; his attention caught now, curiosity piqued.

"See uh… it's this thing called the void," Dean lifted his hands to try and emphasize what he was saying, "It's this big open space with monsters and those monsters are getting into worlds and-"

"Dude, you suck at this." Jet snorted.

"Shut up man, this is my first time trying to explain it." Dean snapped back, feeling a little self-conscious.

"So this void, all these different worlds are floating in it and monsters are starting to migrate into them. Am I getting that part right?" Cas would be lying if he said he wasn't entirely amused with this Dean's dynamic with his friend.

"Yeah, pretty much." The new high priest smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. The way this Castiel smiled was somehow captivating. Dean found he couldn't look away from it. Was this what it looked like when he smiled?

"I think I got it." Cas rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, not unlike the priest had done before they'd entered the portal in the first place.

"You took that well," Jet made a face, looking Cas up and down to size him up. "Not surprised?"

"Didn't you hear me ask what time he was from? I've done some time and space hopping myself." He started back toward the settlement, motioning for them to follow, "And I'm not what I appear to be," he looked back with a wink, "Used to be an angel, you know."

Dean and Jet paused and looked at one another, neither one hundred percent certain they believed him and yet they couldn't find a way to disbelieve him either. Jet looked around the immediate area and furrowed his brow, "Uh… were there two others that fell too?"

"No, just you guys."

The two travellers shared another look, this time a little more anxious. "So, then where the hell did they end up?" Dean muttered, the worry seeping through his exterior.

"Cool it man, he's with Cas, he'll be fine." Jet went for reassuring instead of panicky.

Cas glanced at them again, "Come on, gentlemen. I don't have all day."

"What are you even doing?" Dean asked, finding it too easy to be grumpy now that he realized he didn't know where his brother had gone.

"I'm going to get you guys dried off, what do you think I'm doing? So come on, or don't. I don't really care."

Dean watched Castiel walk away; starting to notice the differences between him and the high priest that Dean had come to know. His hair was messier, his clothes were shabby at best, and his posture was slouched and far more relaxed. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about it just yet, or about the entire situation. They'd been having problems in this world, so Cas said anyway. But Dean couldn't see anything going on, granted there weren't a lot of people out either.

"So who are you looking for?" Cas asked once they'd reached his place, walking out of his shoes and gesturing for them to do the same.

"My brother and partner," Dean explained without really thinking.

Cas paused and looked at him curiously, "Brother? As in… Sam?"

"Yeah, you know Sam too?" Dean lit up, hoping maybe Cas had actually seen someone. Maybe Sam and his Castiel had shown up in a strange time loop or something. He had no idea how these things worked so he figured he could get his hopes up over just about anything.

"You could say that… the Dean that lives here also had a little brother named Sam." Cas looked away and sat down on the couch, stretching his legs a bit as he did so.

"What do you mean by 'had'?" Dean's expression darkened, not wanting the thought to really take hold.

"Exactly what it sounds like, my Dean lost his little brother, we all did."

"What got him?" Jet asked quietly, kicking his shoes off next to Dean's.

"Satan." Cas said simply and the thought of it nearly made his guests laugh. "Don't giggle, I'm serious. He was Lucifer's vessel and now he's locked in hell. This 'world' I guess you could call it, went through the biblical apocalypse."

Dean snickered, "Sorry, sorry. It's just… What's Satan doing in my brother?"

"Better question," Cas looked at him, "What's my Dean going to do if he sees his dead brother walking around again?"

Dean swallowed thickly, "He… wouldn't hurt Sammy."

"You don't know that." Cas ran a hand up into his hair tiredly, "But you're probably right. Nothing to really worry about so sit down, relax a bit."

"Yeah… nothing to worry about." Dean tried to wrap his mind around the last twenty minutes of his life. Last thing before falling out of the portal was being thrown through air, completely out of his element and ready to puke. He should have held onto Sam's hand. He  _knew_  he should have held onto Sam, he knew it. But damn him, when did he ever listen to himself?


	12. Back to The Future: Raptoribus

**Back to the Future World: Part 2**

The wind rushed past his face and for a brief moment everything felt normal. Or, at least that was until he felt a hand grasping at his arm. Castiel turned his head to see Sam's wide-eyed expression, the entire experience was new and exhilarating and the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. Cas couldn't really be upset that Sam had held onto him, especially not after they landed. Castiel touched ground easily, his passing through the portal elegant and graceful, like he'd done it a thousand times, because really, he probably had. When he looked up he realized that it was just he and Sam, Dean and Jet had somehow been misplaced.

Castiel snapped his head around, taking in the scenery until he was certain there was nothing. It was night, the buildings around them were empty, the streets were unlit, nothing seemed to be moving but them.

"Son of a bitch..." He growled out. How could that have happened? He went in first, Jet next, and then Sam. He'd had to go back and drag Dean through but he'd let go right after, was that when? Passing through to a new world wasn't the same with others as when he was alone, though how could he know that? Cas had never done it alone before, though He'd noticed the difference. Normally when he passed through to a world he was there immediately, not this time. The transportation didn't work unless both partners had passed. That was good to know, though now he had an idiot to find. Stupid time and space dimensional crap.

"Dean?" Sam called out, looking around as he wandered in the dark. They were in a city, technically, though it was definitely in ruins. Sam would have commented on how cool it was to be in some kind of ancient place but his mind was a little distracted looking for his brother. "Dean! Where'd you go?"

"He's not around here, Sam." Cas muttered, glancing toward several sets of headlights head right for them. "But it seems there's some civilization at least..."

"So what do we tell them?" Sam perked up, eyes focused on the blinding lights in the night. No wonder deer always stared, it was hard not to when everything was supposed to be pitch black. "Dimension travellers or-"

"Unless you have to explain it, don't bother." Cas stepped away from the vehicles' paths, figuring that if they passed right by he wouldn't want to be flattened. "You'd be surprised at how many people are okay with it, but the vast majority will think you're insane until you prove it."

Sam cringed at that, recalling the way he and Dean had reacted to Cas the first time. "I guess when you do this often enough you get bored of talking about it, huh?"

Cas opened his mouth to reply but decided against it and nodded instead, eyes fixed on the first armored vehicle that slowed near them and ultimately stopped. The door opened and a familiar body hopped out, the cold expression on his face was new but he couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. "Dean?" Sam's eyes lit up as he saw, relieved that they didn't have to look too hard and that Dean hadn't been injured in the short time they'd been there. "Hey, you-" Sam froze when a gun lifted toward him, the barrel aimed right for his head. "Dean?"

Castiel almost seemed to glide to Dean's side, his hand pushing the weapon down to angle it toward the ground and away from Sam. "I don't know who you think he is, but how about this time you ask questions before shooting?"

"He's dead," Dean growled, "You know that, Cas."

Cas didn't flinch, hesitate or cringe in any way. He stepped around to stand in front of Dean, expression stern, as he demanded eye contact. "Why is it that every Dean I meet seems to have half a brain?" he spat indignantly, this time getting the hunter's attention, "That is not the same Sam you know, I am not your Castiel." He spoke clearly to spell it out, "If you pay attention I think you can already tell." He glanced over at Sam who managed a 'I thought you said don't say' look despite his fear. Cas shrugged in return, "It was necessary."

Dean stared at him long and hard before looking up at Sam, the horror on the young man's face and his age to begin with were enough to tip him off. "Alright, you got my attention."

"Good." Cas relaxed his posture slightly, hand slipping away from his cloak. "There's another you around here and I need to find him."

Dean's eyes narrowed but he remained professional about it, "Well it seems like anything of any importance happens to me or my group so he's probably back at camp." He glanced over at Sam again, the look of anger and confusion starting to melt in a way that Cas recognized all too well. It was the look that took over once you realized that the person you used to care about was standing right in front of you again. Of course, they didn't know you and they weren't yours, but that didn't mean you couldn't appreciate the fact that they were breathing.

"Sounds solid enough," Sam wasn't sure he entirely believed this Dean but he saw no reason not to. Yeah, he was a little freaked out a gun had been pointed his way but that didn't mean he'd been shot and it didn't mean he should be upset. This Dean, though he wasn't technically  _his_  brother, he was a brother of  _a_  Sam, and that Sam had done something awful to deserve it. "So let's get going then, what are we waiting for?"

Dean frowned and glanced over at the other men who had accompanied him, their faces filled with shock at the sight of Sam Winchester; they knew the face of the devil when they saw it. "Before you guys start getting trigger happy, this is a different guy." Dean tried to explain as one of them turned to look at Cas.

"How did you get out here, Cas? You stayed behind this time."

"Just listen to your boss," Cas grumbled before heading toward Dean's vehicle. He knew that they weren't travelling ruined cities for fun and he'd be willing to bet anything that they were headed right for the problem that Cas and the others were there for. "I'm guessing you're in the middle of something, you can take us to your base once you're finished."

"Thanks, Cas." Dean looked grateful, a welcome difference on his sour face. Cas nodded and motioned for Sam to join him. The younger Winchester wasn't as keen on going with this mob of gun-wielding maniacs but he didn't see much other option. He passed Dean by, not missing the way he was being stared at as he pulled himself into Dean's truck. He had to get in first, Cas waited patiently for him by the door to ensure that either Sam had to sit in the middle or that Cas got a window seat. Either way it made Sam laugh a little.

The silence in the drive was mind numbing and really all Sam wanted to do was ask; ask about what the other Sam did, why Dean would want to ever harm his brother let alone kill him. Sam couldn't understand it; he'd just come from a situation where Dean would have done anything to save him, to keep him safe and unharmed. He couldn't picture Dean ever doing something like this, there had to be a good reason for it.

Cas on the other hand was focusing on the problem at hand. This world didn't open up to him until he had a partner so what did he need Dean for? He could only think of one thing; that there were alternate versions of them that would be run into and dealt with. Cas shuddered at the thought; it was jostling enough to run into Dean once, to take him with, but to run into him everywhere they went? A new Dean each time, a new story, and possibly a new Castiel to go with. He wasn't sure on that last one but regardless he wasn't sure he was ready for it.  _'Too bad,'_  He told himself numbly,  _'because it's happening and you don't have much of a say.'_

"So what'd he do?" Sam finally spat it out, breaking the silence and startling the two overly tough-acting men on either side of him.

"What'd who do?" Dean snapped, making a face at the curious expression Sam had aimed his way.

"The other Sam, what'd he do that would make you aim a gun at me?"

"First, I don't want to talk about it right now. Second, you should quit thinking about it. And third, shut up."

Cas' face tightened as he held back a snicker, looking strictly out the windshield as Sam frowned at him. "Don't laugh, Cas. He sounds a lot like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Castiel, still bemused by this Dean's attitude, raised an eyebrow back at the younger Winchester. His fingers tapped lightly on the top of his thigh to help pattern out his nerves and calm him down. It wasn't exactly working, his mind was still stuck on everything coming their way.

Sam shrugged and looked ahead again, deciding that now probably wasn't the best time to question anyway. The road was broken up, potholes, cracks, debris and rubble all around. It was a mess and all Sam could think happened was some kind of apocalypse. It was just like in all those post-apocalyptic books he'd ever read, or the movies, or plays or anything of the sort that he'd experienced. The main question though, was it zombies or something else? He couldn't tell, though the lack of rotting corpses on the ground might have been a good indicator. Maybe not zombies but something like them.

The truck slowed to a stop, Dean killed the engine and motioned for the other two to be silent. Castiel looked ahead at the barricaded bridge, blocking the monsters in question from sight. Though he couldn't see them he could feel it, whatever was hiding back there was definitely from the void. "Sam, you stay back." He whispered as he slowly climbed out, Dean's expression souring at his initiative.

"Hey," he snapped in a low hiss, climbing out of the truck and moving around to Castiel's side as he approached the bridge. "This is my operation, get your pale ass back in that truck."

Cas sharply turned his gaze onto Dean, his eyes a cold glint in the moonlight that reminded Dean of the lover he'd left back home. "This may be your current operation, Dean," he emphasized the name with a slight pause, more venom in his tone than Dean had expected, "but I've been on this mission longer than you have known about it and I'll be damned if I let you go in there alone. Do you even have a weapon that works?"

Dean opened his mouth to speak but didn't, instead he bit the inside of his cheek and looked back at the barricade without much of a word.

"I thought not." Cas reached behind himself and into the long ends of his cloak, his hand disappearing for a moment before pulling his weapon of choice.

"What is that? A combo-gun?" Dean tilted his head slightly to the side, reminiscent mimicry of someone he'd spent much time with.

"Basically, yes. A pernach mace and wheellock pistol, I can shoot and bludgeon." Cas explained briefly as he started walking again, each step starting to feel like it was thundering as he went. Evidently silence was a friend in this situation and he could imagine several creatures that would entice that sort of strategy. His heart felt like it was all too loud as it echoed in his ears, getting ready for the types of beasts he'd see. His fingers were crossed for something less horrifying than his mind was offering but then again, when did you ever get what you wished for?

He held his breath before leaning against the barricade and peering around it, his eyes focusing in the dark on the roaming almost shapeless forms. It was a massacre on the other side of the bridge, bodies strewn about like they were pieces of litter, scattered and decorating everything. The worst of it, and the most telling part, they were all skinned.

"Oh shit…" Cas breathed, his heart only getting louder.

Dean slipped beside him, close enough that they could feel the other's presence against their clothing. He leaned forward to peer around the barricade as well, his expression only becoming graver as he watched the ambling beasts. "That'd be them." He muttered under his breath, only loud enough for Castiel to hear. He looked at the high priest and was surprised to see the composed man's eyes wider than ever. He furrowed his brow and leaned closer, "Do you know something about these things?"

"More than you'd ever care to." Castiel started to move away, motioning for Dean to following him until they were safely next to the truck again. His voice still hushed, Cas turned a serious gaze on Dean, "Those things are known in the void as raptoribus."

"Like dinosaurs?" Dean scoffed.

"No," Cas' expression remained the same and it seemed like he'd either heard that one before or it just didn't faze him. "It's Latin, anyway they're not anything you want to play with. How many times have you gone at them? Have you managed to kill any?"

"We've been able to crush some but that's about it. And every time we have ever gone after them we've lost people, the first time was… let's just say it was ugly. I saw enough to know what you're getting at." Dean kept his tone down as well, both sounding like they were hissing from Sam's vantage.

"Okay, is there any way to figure out how many there are?" Sam was glad they'd moved back toward him, it gave him the option to join in again.

"The celestials tell me they've only managed to populate the city." Cas folded his arms over his chest and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Wherever Dean is he would have heard them too, so at least he knows to stay nearby."

"When'd they tell you this?" Neither Sam nor Dean bothered to address the fact that they'd asked at the same time, or that Dean had continued on with "What the hell are 'the celestials' anyway?"

"A moment ago, and they're none of your concern."

"Alright, so if we know they're in the city then we need to find a way to draw them in to the centre." Sam tried to get back on track, his eyes flicking up to Castiel's face to watch the different emotions move across it.

"Only with bait…" Cas murmured, the thought of that only forcing his expression to a dark place.

"Awesome…" Dean shook his head, "I've been there on that whole 'bait' thing before, I don't like where it goes, never ends well."

"I know, and with these things it'll only go worse than you'd expect."

"Then what?" Sam snapped quietly, "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"I need Dean," Cas admitted after a moment, "We can't take them on, not now. It'll only get your men killed."

Dean nodded as he watched the other vehicles idly waiting, knowing he couldn't risk any more of them than he already had. "Alright… then let's get a move on." He motioned for the retreat and felt a little bad when he saw no hesitation in their response. Maybe he'd been the only one that had thought it necessary to go.

As they piled back into the truck and made their escape Sam looked to Castiel earnestly, his eyes more understanding than anything else. "So, I know you said some worlds were blocked off to you before, but what makes you think you need Dean to handle those things?"

Castiel sighed lightly and leaned his head back in exhaustion, "There are more of them than I had expected, at least twenty. He's my partner and I can't do this alone, so I need him."

Sam smiled a little, earning him a frustrated look from the priest.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sam answered, looking ahead with a slight laugh, "It's just I'm kinda happy to hear you say you need him. Makes you a little more… approachable."

Cas didn't respond, instead turning his head to stare out the window. Why would it make someone happy to know he needed someone else?


	13. Back to the Future: Dean's 'Stick'

**Back to the Future World: Part 3**

Dean fidgeted with the hem of his sleeve, wondering why the shirt he'd gotten was so plaid and watching as Castiel made tea in the kitchen. He'd noticed that Cas didn't live alone; in fact he seemed downright homely at moments. "Who do you live with?" He asked nonchalantly, tapping his foot at the pair of shoes that clearly didn't belong to Castiel. They'd been given some free roaming time around the house after drying off and changing, allowed to explore as Cas readied their food.

"I mentioned it before didn't I?" Cas smiled again, it was one of the few things that made Dean's heart skip in his chest. "Dean lives here with me, he's my partner."

"Oh, cool. My partner's name is Cas too, weird coincidence."

"I don't think 'weird coincidence' is what's happening here, but see it as you wish." Cas checked the kettle to find it was still colder than room temperature, and placed it back where he'd picked it up from. "Dean is my  _partner_ , as in lover, boyfriend, soul mate, whatever you want to call it. He and I have been together for a long time and our bond runs deep. I'm not surprised to hear that your partner's name is Castiel."

Dean stared at him blankly, "You… and other me? Really?"

"What, you can't see it?"

"Weird." Jet piped into the conversation as he entered the room, his hands shoved into the deep pockets of his borrowed jeans. "I'm having a tough time picturing it, forget him."

Cas laughed softly and shrugged, "Doesn't matter, it's true. You'll probably see us kiss so do me a favour and don't freak out, he gets touchy sometimes."

"Right, I'll keep the freaking in." Jet gave a thumbs and moved to take a look around.

It was a little strange to see it, considering how Dean had come to know the tight-ass priest it was weird to see Castiel at all domesticated. Yeah okay, Cas had stayed in their home for a while but after seeing him fight, dealing with the combat experienced priest side of him, Dean had a hard time seeing him without a gun on hand. It was even stranger to think Cas was this way for another person, another  _him_. Dean thought about it for a moment amused and imagining Cas in an apron making him dinner, at least until he spotted the multitude of guns on display in select locations of the house.

"Uh... those belong to your partner?" He asked tensely, daring to touch the very real side of a rifle. He hadn't handled firearms very often, at least nothing like what he was seeing now. Handguns? Sure. Rifles and shotguns? What reason would he have for owning one?

"Hm?" Cas looked up from the kettle he had perched over a small fire, mindlessly poking at the little flames to help them along. "Ah, some of them, yeah. We share most of them though a few we handle specially ourselves."

"Jeez," Jet whistled low as he wandered around the living room, eyes drifting over each weapon, even finding a few stashed in hide-away spaces. "You guys are definitely ready for something..."

"Not nearly enough, it seems." Cas chuckled and drummed his fingers on the top of his thigh, watching the water passively. "When those monsters showed up we didn't know what to do, lost at least half of the people we'd managed to save. And the damn things wouldn't go down. We killed a few, I think by a freak accident but hey, let's not knock a victory."

"Can you tell us what they do?" Dean sat down next to the not-human human, watching the tired man poke at the flames. He waited for a few seconds; not liking the way Castiel grimaced at the recollection. Nothing was said for a long moment, which he was somewhat grateful for because he was starting to hear something. The world around him seemed to mute itself, even slow down entirely as a voice echoed into his mind.

_'The creatures you oppose are all located within the city.'_

Dean blinked several times, time speeding up again and he almost freaked out on the spot except the voice was somewhat familiar. It was the celestial he'd spoken to while in heaven. It seemed so weird to hear it now, in a somewhat normal setting. He considered mentioning the news to them, but he decided against looking crazy and talking about the voices in his head. "Cas?" he nudged the dark-haired man, hoping to get back on track about the monsters.

"It's hard to say what they do," Cas finally answered. "They're large, shambling things."  _'They're twice my size.'_  His mind filled in the blanks his mouth refused to say, the fear slipping into his memory with every image his mind withheld. "They're fast."  _'Faster than I am. I can't run away.'_  "And strong; when they catch you, and they  _will_  catch you, you're dead."  _'Skinned alive and left to wait for it. Half squeezed like a tube of paste. Everything done to your body in the meantime. Eaten afterward.'_  He shuddered and looked away, his stomach flip-flopping in place. "I've seen it. All of it. Before they kill you they do everything they can to destroy you, mentally, physically, everything. If you can imagine it I'm sure they've done it."

Jet made a face and tried to shrug it off though clearly it was making him feel ill. Dean furrowed his brow, trying not to imagine anything though several images came to mind. "Oh..."

"Yes," Cas looked up miserably, "So don't let them catch you."

"Noted, thanks." Dean nodded and looked at the cups that Castiel began to fill with water, the tea bags resting inside. "So I'm guessing it's pretty awful if someone, an angel, from the apocalypse thinks it's bad."

A bitter laugh escaped Castiel before he handed out the cups, placing Dean's in front of him, "Yeah. Well no matter how jaded you are it still won't let you sleep at night. I never used to sleep so I'm not used to the nightmares it comes with."

Dean and Jet both nodded quietly at that, it made sense to an extent. "Sorry to hear that. Wish I could say it gets better."

"It does," The way Castiel smiled then only confused the two sitting across from him, the warmth in his face radiating like he knew something they never could. "It gets better, you just have to see it right."

"Thanks," Jet scoffed with a roll of his eyes, "I'll be sure to pack that tidbit of knowledge away."

"See that you do." Cas winked at him playfully and turned his attention to his tea.

It was only an hour later that the front door swung open and the sound of three separate footsteps entered, "Cas?" A gruff voice called into the house, one that the ex-angel recognized all too well.

"In here, Dean." He answered, slowly pulling himself to his feet to greet his boyfriend, "You're back early, did something go wrong?"

"Not quite," The hunter replied softly, seemingly relieved to find his Cas where he was supposed to be. "Some people showed up, one of them looks like-"

"Like me," Cas finished his sentence as he peered around him, looking at the priest's stern expression. "You remind me of an angel I met once, a long time ago. Very uptight."

The priest furrowed his brow but decided not to reply directly, "I'm sure they've explained this to you already," he started to explain but his counterpart lifted a hand to stop him.

"I know, I know. The one thing I'm concerned with right now is who replies to what name? Did you want to go by Castiel and I'll just listen when someone says Cas?" Cas smiled, a charming glint in his eyes.

"Uhm... not really the time, is it?" Sam piped in, walking around the small gathering to get closer to his brother, nodding in Dean's direction to acknowledge his presence. The last thing he wanted was a 'you didn't come say hi after we were separated' spat. "Cas, you said we need to bait those things right? So let's get planning. We can't just sit and talk about the fact that there are two Dean's and two Cas'."

Both Dean's looked at one another, each giving a quick once over to see what his competition was. The hunter rolled his eyes and looked back over at his Castiel, "They have weapons and the ability to kill these things with less drastic measures than we've had to pull off, I suggest we plan this out together."

"Agreed," the shabbier Cas smiled and went to his lover's side, lacing their hands together and leaning up to kiss him tenderly. "I'm glad to see you made it home safe."

Dean's rough exterior finally broke into a smile and he returned the gesture just as sweetly, reaching up to touch his boy's face and run a hand back through his hair.

The two priests looked toward one another, Dean quickly looking away and muttering 'awkward' under his breath while Castiel inhaled past the pain in his chest and did his utmost to ignore it. "Dean," he said after a moment, "I'll need to speak with you before we do this." He cringed a little at the way he'd sounded when he asked, the slight crack in his usual unfazed attitude sounded louder in his ears than he'd ever meant it to. Dean wasn't supposed to know anything bothered him, especially these kinds of things.

His partner looked back at him, green eyes narrowing for a second, "Alright," Dean glanced over at Sam to see if maybe he'd heard it too, noting the concern written on his brother's face as a yes. "Well let's go talk."

"Do you need us?" Jet asked, glancing between the two priests eagerly like he'd been bored out of his mind and might be able to get to do something. Castiel, of course, shot him down fairly quickly.

"No, just Dean." He motioned for his Dean to follow as he stepped back out the door, his partner in tow.

"What's up Cas?" Dean folded his arms over his chest, thinking maybe he'd get an answer about the other man's strange behaviours.

"Have you discovered your weapon yet?" Castiel looked at him earnestly, "Or perhaps discovered any abilities while we've been separated?"

"No..." Dean trailed off as he watched the anxious look dart across Castiel's face, "Cas, calm down. What are we dealing with that you're actually panicking?"

"I'm not panicking, per se." He ran a hand up his forehead and into his hair, "It's... there's quite a few monsters we have to deal with, I'm sure you've heard."

"Yeah but I don't know what they do, what's the big deal?" Dean knew to an extent what the other Cas had told them but he didn't have the knowledge that his partner Castiel had, maybe there was more to them.

"They're raptoribus," Cas lifted his hand to halt Dean's next question, "No, not like the dinosaur. And extremely dangerous. Did the other Castiel tell you anything that they know?"

"Just that they're dangerous, basically. They chase you down and if they catch you you're dead." Dean shrugged, "Kinda figured it was like anything else we're gonna face. You _have_ fought stuff like this, right?"

"I've faced nearly everything the void has to offer, Dean. Of course I've fought raptorbus before, but that doesn't make it easy. Each one is powerful, strong enough to crack you like an egg if it wanted to. They have a tendency to do things to the body once they've caught their victim."

"Like what?" Dean had heard this much, he could see in Castiel's face that he knew more.

"Like skin you alive, for one. That's one of the more painful tasks, I think. Though I've never experienced it so I can't say." Cas chewed on the inside of his cheek briefly, eyes shifted over to the other cabins spotted around land. Dean stared at him, waiting for more of an answer and Castiel knew it. "I know you think that these things must have some kind of complicated purpose, Dean, but not everything has a quirk you can count on like the demoni possessing someone. They just want you dead, that's all." Cas looked back at him, eyes dark and shadowed.

Dean looked away from Castiel's gaze; feeling like it was boring in to him. He wished he knew why Castiel managed to get under his skin so fast, how he managed to send a chill down his spine without even really trying. The silence between them started to eat away at his nerves and Dean decided to change the subject. "So... what kind of weapon do I get? One like yours?"

"It's up to you, really. But whatever you create first it'll be your primary weapon for the rest of time." Cas took a few steps closer, their bodies nearly flush together as his hands slipped beneath the back of Dean's coat. Dean swallowed thickly but didn't protest, eyes fixed on Castiel's calm expression as a ton of questions flashed across his mind. This wasn't exactly what he was expecting, not that he'd been expecting anything at all.

"Uh... Cas?" He stammered briefly, watching blue eyes as they focused behind him. Dean tried to do something to ignore the fact that his throat was stiff and tongue felt numb, wetting his lips and tilting his head backward. He could smell Cas, a subtle scent of cologne and what could only come from someone who worked his body to the bone. Dean blinked a few times when Castiel looked up at him, a little smirk on those surprisingly soft looking lips.

"You haven't noticed?" Cas remarked with a hint of a laugh in his voice. Dean felt his face light up when realized that Cas wasn't really touching him, he'd just stood there.

"What?" He looked back to see that Castiel's hands were pushed behind him, into the back of his coat but not making a single fold in the fabric.

"Your coat is similar to the gates that we pass through," Castiel explained, stepping away again and steeling his eyes once again, ignoring the ache in his chest. "It's a special space for us, to store our belongings and keep things safe. When you reach inside, imagine your weapon, what you want it to be able to do, what you need it to do, and pull it out of that space."

"This is," Dean reached back, his eyes widening as he watched his hand disappear, "probably the weirdest thing I've ever heard of."

"Get used to it." Cas chuckled and crossed his arms pointedly. "Just get on with it."

"Give me a sec, I'm thinking." Dean muttered back, focusing on his hand and his weapon of choice. A number of things went through his mind as he thought about what he wanted Castiel's head tilted a little to watch. Clearly the badass priest wasn't above looking curious once in a while. If Dean hadn't been in the middle of something important he may have paid more attention to the little quirks that Castiel portrayed, though he knew that if he did then his gun or whatever would come out looking like Cas somehow. He just knew it.

No pressure, this was just the weapon he might end up using until the end of time, something he'd be known for. What would be cool? More importantly, what could be useful? He wanted to know what Castiel thought of before choosing his, why he'd combined a Pernach pistol with a mace in the first place. Obviously because close range was just as important as long range, the weapon wasn't for looking cool it was for being used. It was his tool and would become part of him; the only question was what did he want? A sharp bludgeoning weapon made sense, but Castiel was his partner and wielded a weapon that was capable of that, Dean didn't need to mimic it. He needed something to compliment Cas' choice, what would compliment a tool like a mace? A sword came to mind, but it wouldn't be long-range.

Dean's concentration had tuned Castiel out entirely, the darker haired male had made a few attempts to hurry Dean along but nothing seemed to get through. Cas smiled a little, surprised but glad to see how seriously Dean was taking this decision. He could already tell that Dean wouldn't let the limits of reality alter his decision; he'd come up with something helpful.

Finally Dean pulled his hand out, a silver stick in his palm to show the fruit of his efforts. Castiel bristled but didn't openly judge by the immediate impression, "Uh…" Cas managed to say, his eyes moving from the stick to Dean's face, "What's… that?"

Dean smiled, watching some designs burn their way across the surface of his tool, the same ones that decorated Castiel's gun. "It's a combination weapon, like yours. Just easier to hold onto and more compact."

"Explain before I hit you with the sharp end of my gun." Castiel sad flatly, evidently unimpressed with Dean's 'stick'.

"Well I was thinking so hard of weapons for fighting, like machine guns or swords and I kept going to war movies, westerns, and Medieval times kinda stuff. I realized that I totally ruled out sci-fi and fantasy things. So this is what I came up with." He lifted the tool up and Cas watched as parts of it unhinged and slid like a puzzle, shifting and altering the shape entirely until it looked like the hilt of a sword. Castiel leaned back a little, admittedly surprised when a blade shot out of the end.

"You…" Cas muttered, shock in his voice and a growing wonder in his eyes. "What else can it do?"

"Well it can be different kinds of swords," Dean said as the hilt changed and the blade morphed its shape, "Whatever I want it to be. I figured that since this is going to be  _my_ weapon for eternity, it's going to be something I'm known for but more importantly it'll be part of me. Then it came to me; why not actually keep it connected? Like the feeling when I was making it, it knew my thoughts and changed each time I pictured something different, so I figured it'd be perfect for it to keep that connection. I can have a gun like yours," his weapon seemed to snap into place, looking almost identical to Castiel's aside from the silver colour, "Or whatever I want. Cool, huh?"

Castiel stared at the weapon then back at Dean and nearly lost his breath. The bright smile that greeted him threw him, he hadn't been ready for it and all he could remember for a split second was the smiling face he'd used to wake up to.  _'That was ages ago, get ahold of yourself Castiel.'_  He scolded himself as he steeled his expression and nodded, "Nicely done, now we need a plan of attack."

"Machine gun." Dean grinned even wider, not fazed by Castiel's lack of enthusiasm for his ability to make cool things with his mind. "I set it up and we blast the bastards."

"Right, but we still need the bait." Cas frowned, and looked over at the cabin their counterparts were in. "We have to lure them down there and again, it'd bee too late for the humans by the time all the raptoribus were in range. Whoever we use will die."

"What if we just go after them one by one?" Dean argued as he moved into Castiel's line of sight again. "There are a bunch of those things together though not all of them. While we're running around killing them, making a lot of noise, the others will sniff us out and come to play.  _We'll_  be the bait and the trap those bastards fall into at the same time."

Castiel looked back and forth between Dean's eyes, everything he knew about raptoribus telling him to find the easiest and most distant way to kill them. But looking at Dean, hearing him and his plan, it was hard to ignore the feeling.  _Trust your partner._  Something in him wouldn't let the thought go. "You're insane." He finally said after a long pause of staring at one another, those long gazes between them would be the death of him. "But fine. We'll tell the others, I suggest leaving a bomb or two for them to set off in case we aren't enough. If we're the bait and we can't fight them all, at least we'll be able to play the bait in plan B."

"Fine, but we won't need the bombs." Dean smirked. "Come on, let's get the others cued in on this and head out."

Cas sighed lightly and followed Dean back to the cabin, "You're still insane."

"And you like me anyway." Dean chuckled in return, not turning around and completely missing the lost stare that Castiel couldn't help but leave on him.


	14. Back to the Future: The Fight

**Back to the Future World: Part 4**

"This is crazy," the ex-angel muttered under his breath, peering around a barricade with a specialized grenade gripped tightly in his hand. The two priests had created a few weapons for the rest to throw just in case, though they couldn't make that many. Cas swallowed nervously and looked up at his Dean, the hunter looking as serious as ever. They'd been through so much together already and this was just another bit of hell to add to the whole mess. He wondered if they'd ever get a peaceful few days to relax together, no worries on their plates. "You think we'll make it this time?" He asked softly, a small laugh in his throat to hide the fear he was squashing.

Dean looked down at him and nodded, "Of course, Cas. We always do." His smile was reassuring though Cas couldn't shake the feeling bubbling in him. He'd seen what those monsters could do; two men were about to go up against all of them, alone. How the hell was he supposed to believe they'd be alright? In fact, the commotion would draw the rest of the monsters closer, none of them knew which direction the things would be coming from so who was to say that they were safe hiding behind a barricade?

"Calm down, babe." Dean whispered, touching Cas' cheek gently to get his attention again, "It'll be fine, I promise."

Sam couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips, watching two people -who looked just like the ones he knew but weren't actually them- be so tender with one another was the cutest thing he'd seen. It was enough to get him curious, was this what Dean was like? Was Dean that sweet on Cas? Or could he possibly be? He glanced at Jet to see the man's face was just as tight and nervous as any of the other men in the area. "Jet?" Sam nudged him, receiving a softened look in return. "You scared?"

Jet smirked and looked back out at where his best friend was about to wander into a death trap, "Nah," he scoffed lightly, "Not for me, anyway."

Sam nodded and looked out anxiously as well. "It'll be fine…" He muttered, fingers tightening around the grenade given to him.  _'Dean knows what he's doing… I think.'_

Further away, Dean and Castiel maneuvered around some debris, inching closer and closer to the masses of raptoribus roaming the bridge. Castiel looked at Dean thoughtfully as he raised his gun, slipping past a broken down vehicle without a sound.

Dean exhaled slowly and followed, a machine gun forming in his hands as he readied himself. He'd set it up for unlimited ammo and constant fire; the bullets were made specifically for the monsters of the void so even if he hit Cas his partner would be fine.  _'I should make a bomb like that too, come to think of it.'_  He thought to himself as they closed in on the first beast. Luckily it seemed to be pretty dense so they managed to get fairly close.

It was a sensitive moment, Castiel could smell the monster as it loomed ahead of him and knew that the slightest sound he made would alert it.  _'Be ready.'_  He told himself, recalling each moment he'd ever fought one of these. They weren't too hard when there was just one, keep your eye on it and don't let it get you. But there were so many now, he wouldn't be able to watch his back for others, he'd have to count on Dean. And in turn, he'd have to take care of his partner. A calm and carefully silent exhale from his nose helped him relax his arms as he propped his pernach up, aimed right for the beast's head.  _'First shot has to kill it or things will be messier still.'_

Dean watched Castiel's form; slender and almost delicate as he stepped around anything that'd make a sound, gun aimed and steady. The following seconds felt like they dragged on forever as Castiel shot off the first round, the sound ringing in the air like a cannon had gone off, a light puff of smoke from his barrel and barely even a slight movement in his body. Castiel stared at the raptoribus as it slipped down to the ground, unmoving, lifeless, and suddenly not worth his attention. Both snapped their gazes up to see the glowering eyes angled their way.

 _ **"NOW!"**_  Castiel shouted as he started firing as fast as he could, beginning to move, running from the raptoribus' immediate line of sight and to find higher ground. Dean had perched himself on top of an abandoned bus and started to fire at will, the rounds of bullets slamming into each monster and sending them to their knees just as fast as Castiel had brought down the first one.

Behind the barricade Sam tensed and stood to look at the carnage on the bridge, at Dean's planted position and the smaller figure that seemed to be moving at uncanny speeds. "Holy shit." Sam muttered at the sight that raged to life right in front of him; heavy bodies hitting the pavement with what looked like a massive amount of force, all sounds washed away with the repeating volume of Dean's gunfire, and the little bursts of light that erupted from Castiel's ever moving position. "They're actually doing it."

"They've just started," Cas leaned over to look, his anxiety lessening as he watched, "But you're right, they're doing very well. Better than I'd have thought."

"Doesn't mean it'll be so easy for us," Dean grunted as his attention was caught, the rumbling sounds in the distance getting closer and closer to them. "We've got company." He growled out as he ducked down, "Everybody quiet and keep low."

They did as they were told, watching as more of the beasts burst out of buildings and bolted down the streets. All seemed to be heading in the same direction, right for the gunfire on the bridge. None seemed to notice the small assault team waiting in the wings, luckily for them. Sam breathed out shakily as the raptoribus seemed to pass, peering around again to see if Dean was alright. The shots from his machine gun rained down on their opponents like fire, shifting to catch the strays and snapping around to destroy the new comers. Sam smiled a little, glad that Dean wasn't totally oblivious to it.

"So does instinct come with the priest package?" Jet chuckled, "I didn't know he knew how to handle a machine gun, let alone have any kind of sense in a fight."

Down on the bridge Dean felt like time had slowed down, each movement felt sluggish and he was starting to notice an anxiety. He couldn't see Castiel anymore though he'd caught a glimpse of a small gathering of raptoribus, all in a circle like they were looking at something precious. He had a feeling that his partner was in the centre of it all but he couldn't find a second to run down and check.

"Cas!" he shouted over the roar of his weapon, his heartbeat seeming to catch up with the speed of his firing. "Cas are you alright?" He couldn't hear an answer even if Cas had managed to scream, everything was too loud. All he could do was continue his onslaught and pray that Castiel was okay.

A moment passed, what felt like hours, and Dean felt a shift below him like the bridge was quaking beneath his feet. It vanished just as quickly as it had come but it happened again, and again until it was a pounding rhythm that sent small chills down his spine. Dean looked up to see that each raptoribus had stopped, all heads turned toward the massive group that had gathered, none moving. He stopped firing and looked toward the circle, wondering what could possibly make these things slow their pace like this. His limbs felt heavy when he saw the glow seeping out from between the limbs blocking its way. The light only brightened the more the seconds ticked by, Dean's heart leapt to his throat as a blast wave rolled across the bridge, his arms coming up to shield himself from it. He couldn't think of anything else to do, if harm was coming his way this was his best defense.

Dean knew immediately when his feet were no longer beneath him, the rush of air sweeping him off the top of the bus and sending him to the ground. He gasped as his breath escaped his lungs, a sharp pain shooting up his spine from his tailbone. For a second everything seemed to be in a whirlwind of light and a torrent of wind, Dean thought for a moment he was tumbling along the pavement but realized it was just his head spinning. He forced himself up again, pushing past the trembling ground and crawling onto the bus again. He stared out over the bridge, this time seeing the cause of the problem. Castiel was surrounded by a bright light as he practically mowed down the startled monsters. His movement looked more like flying, a swift glide across and over the debris around him. He was wielding his gun as a mace instead and with each clubbing motion a shockwave leveled the nearby raptoribus. Dean was in awe as he watched his partner go berserk, but mostly he was surprised at how beautiful it was. Even as Castiel slaughtered those things, blood and gore splattering all over, it looked peaceful and smooth.

"If he could do that why didn't he start with it?" Jet shouted, pointing somewhat dramatically.

"There's probably a cost." Cas furrowed his brow, "Looks like it's too high powered to just use willy nilly."

"Regardless it's working," Dean nearly laughed, watching the spectacle unfold. "He's not only massacring the ones that are already there but he's drawing the rest closer indefinitely. I can't believe I'm seeing this."

Sam nodded slowly but he had a bad feeling, he glanced over at the fallen angel who seemed to share his sentiment; if there was a cost to this it wouldn't be small.

Everything started coming to close after several minutes of non-stop destruction. Castiel looked around and upon sensing no remaining hostility, his glow flickered and faded. Dean hopped off the bus and slipped his weapon into his coat, running across the distance between them. "Cas, you tank! How did you do that?" He laughed though it didn't remain cheerful, slipping into a nervous chuckle as he reached his partner's side. "Cas?"

Castiel remained still for several moments before he staggered forward and promptly fell. Dean caught him and fumbled him a little, managing to hold Cas to his chest as he lowered to the ground with him. "Cas! Hey man, don't do this, wake up." He shook Castiel's limp form gently, "C'mon, look at me."

There was a slight twitch in Castiel's facial muscles, his eye lids shifting and slowly lifting up. "Mmm..." He groaned softly, trying to see Dean's face. "D...ean?" he mumbled, eyes unfocused and wet.

"Yeah Cas, it's me." Dean smiled down at him, relief clear in his eyes even though he knew that Cas wasn't quite with it just yet.

Castiel laughed quietly, the sound breaking into a subtle sobbing as his hand touched Dean's arm. "I missed you." he whispered, eyes closing again as his head rested back heavily in Dean's embrace.

"Missed me?" Dean nudged Castiel's head up, "Cas? What do you mean?" Even though his partner didn't answer for the moment, Dean was still relieved. Castiel was alive so it would be okay yet, even if he was unconscious.

"Dean!" Sam's voice broke Dean's concentration like the crack of a whip, he looked up to see his little brother standing over him. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah," He looked down at Castiel's face, reaching up and rubbing tears off Cas' cheek gently with his thumb, "I think so…"

"Let's get him home." The other Dean approached as well, his gaze looking torn up, like he'd just watched his Castiel collapse. "We'll take care of him back there."

Cas and Jet followed suit, both glancing around for any other monsters, just in case. "I think he's just tired," Cas smiled as he leaned over, nudging his counterpart playfully. "Though I wish I knew why he was crying."

"Yeah," Dean held him a little closer, his eyes narrowing as he continued to watch his partner's face, catching an escaped tear every now and then. "Me too…"

"So we done here?" Jet leaned over and started to help Dean up, supporting him until he could stand properly with Castiel in his arms.

"Guess so," Dean adjusted Castiel a little better, smiling sadly when he felt the tickle of soft dark hair against his neck. "I want to wait until he wakes up though, before we move on."

"I think  _sleep_  is a good idea." Sam groaned, rubbing his eyes, "We haven't yet and I'm exhausted."

"I'm with Sam," Jet yawned and followed the others toward their get-away vehicles. "Sleep sounds amazing."

Dean wasn't sure he'd be able to but he smiled and nodded anyway, curling Castiel against his chest and squeezing him. "I've got you, Cas." He whispered softly enough that no one else could have heard him.

* * *

" _Hey Cas?"_

_That voice again. "Dean?" Castiel muttered tiredly, his eyelids feeling too heavy to move. He knew this nightmare, he would hear Dean's voice saying 'look at me' and he would always look to see a rotting face. "Baby, I saw you today." Cas smiled a little, keeping himself positive. "I saw you."_

" _Would you look at me?"_

_Castiel looked up, the tears waiting to fall as he did, that lump in his throat stopping him from swallowing properly. He sobbed quietly and reached up to touch the cold face again, "I saw you, baby."_

"Cas?"

"Hm?" Cas flinched a little when he realized his eyes were still closed, forcing them open again past the heaviness. He looked up at Dean, completely awestruck at first until he remembered where he was. "What is it?"

Dean smiled brightly, "You're up, I'm glad. I thought –well we were all worried."

"Why?" Castiel slowly pushed himself up, cringing slightly at the pull in his limbs. His eyes widened when the memory struck him, "Holy shit, did it work?" He spun on Dean excitedly; blue eyes wide and a firm hand Dean's forearm as some sort of anchor.

Dean almost laughed, lowering Castiel in the bed again he forced him to relax. "Yeah, you did it Cas, I don't know what you did but you destroyed those things almost single-handedly." Dean watched Castiel as he leaned back again, eyes distant as he tried to recall it. "What did you do?"

"I…" Cas muttered as he shook his head slowly, "It's a spell I hadn't tried, I combined one of my more powerful ones with a body enhancement; on top of that I attached a weapon advance to my pistol."

"Sounds crazy… Why'd you do it? Not that it wasn't awesome or anything."

"I was…" Cas closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, "I couldn't get away and they were surrounding me. I panicked a little when you couldn't hear me."

Dean flinched and looked away, his expression looking torn and distraught, "I'm… I'm sorry Cas, you almost got killed out there because of me." His lip pulled up in a snarl, his hands tightened into fists as he pictured it. "You've been doing this forever and now suddenly you end up almost dying all the time, and it's because of me."

"Dean," Castiel surprised himself with how soft his own voice came across, "Calm down, it's not like that. The worlds wouldn't open to just me, there are greater challenges ahead and puzzles that I wouldn't be able to do on my own. If you aren't with me I can't keep going, so shut up and calm down."

Dean looked at him and for a moment it was just the two of them in that room. One smiled and the other returned it fully; maybe they'd be decent partners after all.

"Hey," The door opened and the other Cas peered inside, his messy hair in tangles and stubble threatening to turn into a full-on beard. He smiled brightly when he saw his own face staring back at him, "You're up! See? I told you he'd be up, I was only off by a day or two."

Dean chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, you were close. He's alright, I suppose we'll be heading out soon."

Cas leaned against the doorframe and nodded, eyeing his priest counterpart carefully. "He looks a lot better at least. You sure you're ready to head out? He just woke up."

"We're ready." Castiel replied as he started to climb out of the not-so comfy bed. "If I've been out for a few days it's been too long."

"You seem to end up there a lot, actually." Dean smirked, "I mean, you know how you ended up crashing in my room for a while and everything."

"Shut up, that was for entirely different reasons and you know it." Castiel shoved him, though it was more playful than hurtful for once.

"So you are leaving," The ex-angel walked over and gave them each a hug, "I was hoping you'd stay for a little fun but I guess not." He smiled as he leaned away from Dean, lifting his hand and rubbing at the slight blush on his cheeks.

"What fun?" Dean stuttered, glancing up at his partner who only rolled his eyes in return.

"Well I thought a foursome might be fun," Cas glanced over at his injured counterpart for a second before looking back at Dean's bewildered face, trailing a finger down his chest, "You know, you, your partner, my Dean and myself. I already asked and Dean said it was okay with him-"

"Yeah I got it." Dean stepped away and headed for the door pretty quick after that, "I'm good thanks."

Cas pouted and shrugged, "Can't win 'em all."

"Certainly not." The priest replied as he followed Dean out, keeping his laughter to himself.

"Sam! Jet! Get ready, we're leaving." Dean shouted across the cabin, hurrying over to his shoes at the front door. He glanced at his body double for a moment, the hunter relaxing by the kitchen table with a knowing grin on his face. "You really okay'ed that?"

"Yeah, why not? Cas is actually pretty good in orgies."

"Not even going to look at you." Dean finished lacing his boots and hurried out the door, waiting until the others joined him.

The ex-angel and his hunter stood in the doorway of their home, watching the group of four squabble a bit about Castiel's health and whether or not they should be resting longer. Cas chuckled softly and leaned against his Dean, "I'm glad that the rest of the universe's existence doesn't depend on us for once."

"Tell me about it." Dean kissed his cheek before whistling at the dimension travelling team, "Hey!"

All four turned their attention his way, Castiel having just opened the new portal and holding it that way. "What's up?"

"We just wanted to thank you," Cas smiled at them, "For everything, really. You saved us."

"No problem, just doing our job." Dean grinned and gave a quick bow of his head, not realizing it had been at the same time that Castiel had done the exact same.

Cas snickered and waved them off, "Get out of here, you guys have a lot to learn."

Before anyone had a chance to answer Castiel shoved them through the portal, giving a quick wave in return before disappearing as well.

Cas sighed and kissed his lover slowly, giggling a little when Dean lifted him up and bit down his neck. "So if they fail?" He asked calmly, as if he were asking about the weather.

"Then we're toast." Dean replied in the same tone, even sounding a little joyful.

"Feels weird for it to be on someone else's shoulders, but it gives us a chance to do other things."

"Like?"

"Like… what would you do if this was your last night alive?" Cas slid a finger along Dean's jaw, a shiver running down his spine at the look he'd been given for such a question.

"You, all night long." Dean growled low as he continued showering Cas with affectionate kisses and nips.

"Prove it."

"You got it, baby."


	15. Small Problem: Crush Worthy

**The Mainline**

"Alright new plan," Sam looked at the others as they walked down the mainline, Castiel leading the way like there had been nothing wrong with him an hour before. "Last time when we jumped through we were all separated, I think we should hold hands."

"Really?" Jet raised an eyebrow, "We found each other, didn't we? Come on."

"I'm serious, we need to stick together to handle these things and take them out as fast as possible. People are dying out there, Jet. We can't waste our time trying figure out where the others fell." Sam argued, looking to Castiel for some back up.

"Sam's not wrong," Cas conceded though his expression told more than he'd said, like he had more to say though wasn't sure how to put it. Re-wording things was pretty key when staying on Sam's good side. Cas used to be good friends with Sam, or the one that he'd known a long time ago, anyway, and he wanted to get there again. Sam had been (and still seemed to be) an amazing person to know, so Cas found a better way to say what he'd wanted to outright deny. "Though there's no telling what it'll be like when we go through again. There might not be a given pattern; just because we hold hands and stay linked doesn't necessarily mean we'll be together."

"It's worth a shot," Sam insisted, nudging at Cas' side and staring at him earnestly.

"Yeah, might as well give it a try." Dean agreed, catching up to Castiel's other side.

Cas was quiet for a long moment before he addressed them again, "Alright, fine. But the portal doesn't work until both priests are in so I'd suggest one of us taking up the rear. Dean, I say it should be you."

"Me? Why don't you? You're still exhausted, Cas! I should take the lead this time." Dean frowned, walking faster to move in front of Castiel and cut him off.

"I'm fine Dean." Cas stopped in his tracks and stared at his partner, that same piercing look he always seemed to have. Dean could never tell if he was pissed off or not, it was always the same intensity. Or, at least most of the time; he could still remember the moments that Castiel looked hurt or incredibly sad. He'd never really had the nerve to ask about the expressions though. Maybe at some point he would, but for now he'd just settle for making Castiel rest.

"You're not fine." Dean returned the intense stare and squared his shoulders, a sort of show of dominance, of how much bigger he still was. "You nearly killed yourself out there and I don't want to have to go through that again."

Cas opened his mouth to protest but found it difficult to argue, "Alright," he agreed and continued down the path, looking for a world that needed immediate attention. Dean couldn't say he wasn't surprised, he'd expected more of a fight or at least an argument but nothing. Castiel agreed with him for once.

"Cas," Dean smiled and caught up to his partner's side, that sly grin peering around in front of Castiel's face, "Are you starting to like me?"

A frown followed by a hand shoved in Dean's face was enough to knock him back and away, Cas continued down the trail ahead. "You wish." He snarled, almost convincingly if not for the subtle laugh that followed.

"Ah! I knew it! You're starting to like me. I'm growing on you."

"Fungus."

"Ouch."

"So, question." Jet asked from the back of the pack, his hands shoved in his pockets casually. "What happens to the world we were just in? Is it safe now?"

"Safer," Cas replied, "It'll have a warding spell around it from now on though that doesn't make it impenetrable. And what's more, the people we've just met and left won't remember we were there."

"Seriously?" Dean frowned, remembering the other Castiel's smile and overall hospitality. "Not at all?"

"No, we were a ripple in their timeline, whatever we interrupt will be forgotten and their lives will continue as if we hadn't been there. It takes about two minutes after we leave, but it happens." Cas looked over at Dean with a chuckle, "Why? You hoping to go back for that 'foursome' or something?"

Dean's face flushed and he looked away, ignoring the burning red in his cheeks, "No! Whatever." He turned away quickly and ran past Castiel to the nearest world, following a trail of fire, "I choose this one. Let's go." He shouted gruffly over his shoulder.

Cas raised an eyebrow as he strolled to Dean's side, "Really?"

"Yeah, so shut up." Dean bristled and reached back to take his brother's hand, Sam trying not to laugh at him.

"Dean, you're being over defensive."

"Shut up, Sam. You have no idea what he's talking about."

"Doesn't matter, you're still over reacting." Sam chuckled and took Jet's hand, the other male already holding Castiel's.

"Are we ready then, Mr. Leader?" Cas smiled from his position in the back, a sassier look than Dean had ever seen on him before. "Or are you worried we'll end up with another Castiel who wants to have sex with you?" Dean frowned first and lifted his upper lip in disgust second, shrugging it off and stepping through the portal.

Cas let out a scoffing sound, one meant to be smug and snarky, something to be taken in a mocking fashion. He'd never say out loud that it was a defensive maneuver against Dean's obvious distaste for any sexual contact with him. Though he didn't quite understand why it bothered him so much, this was a different Dean; he'd covered that a long time ago. So why was it getting to him in ways only his Dean was able to hurt him? In fact they'd had a bit of a moment back in that last world, hadn't they? Dean was holding him so tightly, had he just forgotten it? Did Dean not remember how scared he was of losing Cas? Or maybe he did remember and was trying to brush it off, pretend it didn't happen. Cas couldn't tell.

And on the other side of things, Dean didn't quite understand the face he'd made in return to Castiel's comment. He was embarrassed to let Cas even think he'd be interested, he even went as far as to try and hurt Cas' feelings over it by making it seem like being interested was the worst possible interpretation of his actions. It was something stupid teenagers did, or middle schoollers with a crush.

And that was the exact moment Dean realized that he might just have a crush on someone.

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 1**

"He's seriously taking forever," Dean grumbled, having already been scolded once by his brother but risking it a second time. "Yeah we've been through this but seriously! How long does it take an angel to get from Greece to here?"

Sam shrugged and absently tore at the corners of his newspaper, not sure what to say to his brother anymore. "Honestly Dean I don't know, alright? He's done the 'not answering' thing before, maybe he just got caught up in something. There's probably a thousand different answers to your question, none of which tell us anything until he actually gets back." He started to stand from the small motel table, rubbing his hand through his hair in an attempt to de-frustrate himself from the situation. Dean could get downright ridiculous when anything involved Cas and really he didn't want to be part of it at that moment. Hoping for some kind of a distraction or at least Castiel's arrival.

He got his distraction when the wall next to him opened up, the surface rippled like a pool of water and both Winchesters found themselves completely unprepared for it. Sam grabbed his handgun and immediately took five steps back, weapon up and eyes trained on the movement of their motel room wall as the rippling quickened. Dean was already on his feet and prepared to snag whatever came out, demon knife in hand.

Two bodies emerged, one awkwardly falling through and face planting in the process, the other moving gracefully and stepping almost silently into the room. Dean grabbed the upright individual and forced him up against a portion of the wall that was regular, pinning him there with one arm. He was about to snap out the words 'who are you' when he saw who he'd grabbed, "Cas? Took you long enough! Where the hell have you been? And what's with the weird wardrobe?"

Castiel lifted a hand and slowly pushed Dean away from him, the hunter following the motion cooperatively. No real sense in shoving Cas anywhere, really. "I don't know what you were expecting," The priest started explaining as his partner bewilderedly rose from his humbled position on the floor, "but we're not it."

"Dean," Sam's warning tone caught his brother by surprise, both Dean's in the room looking over at him, "There's two of you." He lowered the gun a little, only for a moment before he traded it out for a silver knife from the duffel bag at his feet.

"Calm down," Castiel instructed, "There should have been two more, did they come through?"

"No, you're the first wall jumpers we got today." Dean's hand forcefully returned to Cas' chest and pushed him back against the wall, "Now start talking. Who are you?"

"You weren't wrong, I am Castiel, just not the one you know."

Dean narrowed his eyes and pushed harder, his untrusting nature not as much of a surprise to Cas though the other Dean was surprised to see it. "Hey, let go of him!" The priest in-training moved to remove his look alike from his partner but stopped, Sam's hand firmly on his shoulder.

"Enough fooling around, how did you walk through a wall? What are you?"

"Give me a moment to explain and I'll tell you." Castiel growled, glaring at Dean just as hard as the hunter glared at him. The stare-off lasted several moments before Dean finally let go again, stepping away but not disarming himself. "Thank you," Cas wasn't entirely grateful but using those words tended to soothe more than not. "Now, like I said my name is Castiel, this is my partner Dean. To put it simply, we're travellers of the time-space continuum, alternate realities, and dimensions."

"So…" Dean looked over at his double, staring at the matching outfits these two wore and deciding not to bring it up. "How?"

"It's a special ability we possess as High Priests."

"Why?" Sam's expression matched the untrusting confusion of his brother's to the T.

"Essentially; we've been given the task of salvation." Castiel made it seem to easy to explain, his partner was left with the memory of fumbling through it to the Cas from the last world. He cringed at the thought and kept his mouth shut, if Castiel was with him then Castiel could answer the questions.

"Salvation of what?" The other Dean took his turn at question asking, his face starting to take on a look of skepticism. Not did he only distrust them, he thought they were deceiving and lying. Much more dangerous.

"The universe, different realities, timelines, dimensions, all of it. Wherever we may go we are responsible for saving, whether we've been there or not."

Sam lowered the knife, passively dropping it back into the bag at his feet and earning himself an estranged look from the other hunter. "Sounds like it's kind of big for just two of you."

"Used to be just me," Cas scoffed, "It's gotten easier, mostly."

"I think the question is more like what are you saving these things  _from_?" Dean wasn't about to give up as easily as Sam, he wasn't about to just accept that these look a-likes were saving universes without some kind of proof.

"The Void, mostly." Castiel had already visibly relaxed in comparison to his earlier stance, eyes no longer trying to glare a hole through Dean's head. "It's the space in between dimensions and off the mainline of realities. It's everywhere and there are monsters lurking in it, all kinds of beasts with several names and capabilities. They've been sneaking into the worlds and causing havoc, slowly taking over until there's nothing left to save." He looked away miserably, his hands tightening at his sides, "It's happened a few times now, where I was unable to help and one of the worlds fell, dragged down into the void and gone."

Dean watched his partner as the two brothers exchanged a glance and moved closer to each other; he wondered why Cas hadn't told him that.  _'Probably because it's not something that needed to come up, or something he doesn't like to mention.'_  But of course that begged the question; why now?

"Alright," Sam looked over from where he and his Dean had huddled to make a quick game plan, "What can we do?"

"I just need to know what's been going on lately that's entirely different from normal." Cas watched their faces crack up at his words and all he could do was stare at them until someone fessed up as to why it was so funny.

"Man, that's  _everyday_  around here." Dean snorted at him, "When things are normal is when it's not normal. I don't know what to tell you."

"Then we need to go," Cas looked to his partner before heading toward the door, Dean in tow.

"Hold up."

The priests both stopped and glanced back, Cas looked the other Dean over for a second before answering. "Yes?"

"We're waiting for our friend to come back, he might know something." Dean explained, still not willing to just let this go. If their reality was in danger and all he had to do was find something strange going on to help it? What would he say to himself later if he didn't do anything at all and things were coming to an end around him? He'd be pissed.

Cas hesitated but nodded, "Alright then, we'll stay."


	16. Small Problem: Little Things

**Small Problem World: Part 2**

Sam and Jet both tumbled out of the portal at the same time, to anyone that might've seen the spectacle would've recognized that there was a mess of limbs flailing to the ground. But that's about it. Sam pushed off his brother's best friend fairly quickly, standing up and looking around with wide eyes. They were on the side of a road in what looked to be the middle of nowhere.

"Apocalypse?" Jet asked as he pulled himself to his feet, brushing dirt off his arms, torso and patting his backside for good measure.

"No, don't think so… Doesn't look like any debris on the road, though we're not in a city so I can't really tell." Sam muttered his reply as he walked onto the asphalt, looking both ways for something, anything.

Jet looked the other way, his hands resting on his hips as his shoulders started to tremble, a snicker escaping him and breaking into a laugh. "You know, I don't see our priest friends anywhere?"

"What?" Sam spun around and looked back to where they'd landed, seeing nothing but the mark they'd left in the soil. "You're kidding me! So holding hands really didn't work…"

"Looks that way, sorry pal." Jet clapped him on the shoulder before heading down the road, "Well let's get moving, I have a feeling if something messed up happens we'll be pretty close to it."

Sam's attention was mostly elsewhere by the time Jet finished he's sentence, staring at a painfully bright light flickering across the sky at a quick pace. "Yeah…" He muttered his reply though he'd forgotten what he was responding to already. "Do you see that?"

"Hm?" The other brunette glanced back before tilting his head in the direction Sam was pointing, "It's… a really energetic firefly?"

"Way too big." Sam ran over to a nearby tree that he figured would be in the thing's path and climbed, nimbly pulling himself up the thick branches until he'd gotten high enough. Sam reached out though it looked too far away, that was, at least, until it seemed to notice him. The small figure zipped right to his hand and collapsed onto it, little hands grasping at his arm to keep balance.

"Sam!" It was Castiel, Sam realized, except he was maybe 5inches tall… and naked. "Sam something's happened!" His eyes were so wide and terrified, his hands trembling on Sam's wrist.

"How'd you get so small?" Sam couldn't think of anything else to ask but that, "And what's that glow on your back?"

"Those are my wings," Little Cas shifted as he folded them in and out of the way, "And I was cursed. That gem you sent me to get did this to me and I was bringing it back when something… something happened, I don't have it anymore." He fidgeted and tried to stand on Sam properly though his balance was a little off. His fidgety behavior only made him seem more out of sorts; whatever happened must've been bad enough to shake him up like this. "I need that gem to turn back, I'm fairly certain. But… this thing is chasing me. I can't get away from it and I can't fight it, I have no idea what it is-"

"Okay, okay, calm down." Sam moved his hand toward his shoulder, "Just hold onto me and I'll climb down from here, alright? We'll figure this out." He was thinking that he wasn't aware that Cas ever had wings, and he didn't remember sending him off for a gem either. The intelligent conclusion at that point would be to assume that this Castiel was native to this dimension.

Cas nodded and slowly climbed onto Sam's shoulder, one hand gripping the fabric of his sweater while the other was held against Sam's head for balance. It was strange, to climb down a tree with a little person sitting on you, clinging to you for dear life. Sam smiled to himself, his eyes shifting over to the little man holding onto him, "You okay?"

"Yes," Castiel breathed out, clearly having tried a more relaxing approach to things. "For the moment." He glanced around worriedly, "I just… I don't know where that thing is."

"What did it look like?" Sam asked calmly as he made his way back down to ground level, Jet watching him with that older brother air about him. He wasn't Sam's brother or related in any way but Jet was still family.

"It didn't so much as look like anything as it… Well…" Cas fidgeted some more, he felt foolish somehow, like it was his fault this thing appeared out of nowhere, that it had chased him. "If I had to describe it in a way you'd understand I'd say it was a sort of cloud of smoke. All black, it had a face and it could materialize into different shapes but mostly it remained like air." He was looking down as he spoke, remembering what it looked like as he tried to describe it.

"Uh… like that?" Jet pointed up at a dark cloud floating unnaturally faster than the rest, its trajectory changing every now and then in ways only a living thing could accomplish.

"Yes!" Cas tugged on Sam's collar, "Where's Dean? We need to get out of here!"

"If it's like air we should be fine, right?" Sam furrowed his brow as he tucked himself behind the tree, hiding from sight and lowering his voice.

"It looks like it's made of air and vapors but its hits are solid." Castiel explained softly, his posture and body language showing nothing but how tense he was. "I had to drop the gem or else I never would have been fast enough to escape, it's somewhere about ten miles away from here but I can't get it if this thing is after me."

"Why is it after you again?" Jet hissed in a whisper, keeping his eyes up on the monster warily through the tree branches.

"I don't know, it came out of nowhere and went after me." Cas answered in the same low tone, also trying to follow it with his eyes when it was in view. He swallowed nervously and held onto Sam a little harder, holding his breath and praying the thing went on its way.

The following minutes were murder on their nerves but eventually the monster continued on its way, floating into the distance and gone. Castiel started to breathe again and fell against Sam, finally able exhale a sigh of relief. Sam and Jet both visibly relaxed against the trees they hid against, feeling the exhaustion from such a long time of added tension. "Okay," Sam said finally, "I think it's gone for now. Cas, what happened?"

"Okay," Castiel straightened up and was about to start talking when he seemed to realize something. "Uh…" his cheeks started to tint pink as he looked down at himself, the heat creeping up from all areas of his body and darkening his face in red. The two in his company didn't get it at first, at least not until he tried covering himself.

Sam smiled a little and nudged him gently, "It's alright, Cas. Not judging here, go ahead."

Cas looked at him sheepishly but listened all the same, if Sam wasn't embarrassed and trying to force him to get dressed than maybe it wasn't so bad. If he'd learned anything from the Winchesters, it was to know when he should be humiliated and ashamed of himself. Granted he'd existed for ages knowing what the human body looked like, but that was before he had one and before he'd known Dean Winchester. Regardless, he decided to explain, "Well when you told me to get the gem-"

"Cas, I'm not the same Sam." Sam interrupted gently, trying to keep from spooking the poor thing though judging by Castiel's face he didn't do much good.

"You're not-" Cas squinted a moment before realizing that Sam wasn't lying, he was far from the hunter that Castiel knew. Which meant he was talking to something else and could very well be in real danger. A bright flash erupted from his spine as his wings flared free, he was about an inch off of Sam's hand before the Winchester caught him out of the air.

"Cas, calm down." Sam soothed, his hand tightening enough to keep the squirming angel in place, "Yes I'm from another dimension but I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Let go of me!" Castiel growled as he slowed down, glaring up at Sam distrusting. His eyes were intense, a look that Sam remembered seeing in the priest as well.

' _There must be something they've gone through that's similar… The Cas from the post apocalyptic world just looked empty… Well, sort of, maybe less empty than his Dean's.'_  Sam mused to himself as he pulled Cas closer, gently holding him to his chest. "Cas, I promise I'm not here to do anything bad."

Castiel's tense limbs started to relax, his head resting back against Sam's hand to look up at the younger Winchester suspiciously though much less violent. He had questions but knew that he should keep it down to the most important ones. "Alright… Then why are you here?"

"We're here to get rid of monsters like the one that attacked you," Jet answered first, his tone a little uneven. Sam wondered why for a brief second before he recognized it as Jet's 'I'm trying not to laugh at you' voice.

"You didn't do a very good job." Cas muttered, glancing back toward the sky.

"We're not the ones doing it, my brother and another Cas are the ones who were technically given the job. Jet and I tagged along." Sam adjusted his hold on the little angel and lifted him up, Castiel sitting on his palm with his legs together as they dangled over. "So what happened?"

"The other Winchester brothers, the ones from this dimension, asked me to retrieve something for them, that gem. I went to pick it up and when I touched it this happened to me." He gestured to himself vaguely, keeping his legs together self-consciously. "I was carrying it back when I ran into that thing. I've never seen anything like it before, where is it from?"

"Something called 'The Void' or whatever," Jet shrugged, "What does it matter where it came from? Problem is it's here and it's looking for you for some reason, little guy."

Cas scoffed at the term but turned his attention to Sam, not particularly interested in speaking with someone he didn't know at that moment. "Sam?"

"Jet's right," Sam smiled down at Cas reassuringly, "We should go back to the Winchesters that you know, I'd bet that's where my brother and friend showed up."

After a moment of thought Cas nodded, "Well we need to head over there, then."

Regardless of the story that was told, why Castiel was the size he was or why Sam and Jet were there; they still needed to get a move on. The motel they were heading to was fairly far off still, approximately thirty kilometers (about twenty miles for the Americans). Sam tucked Castiel into the pocket of his sweater, away from the pull of the late autumn breeze and safely hidden. He hurried along the side of the road, glancing out at the highway to see if any traffic was oncoming. He'd never hitchhiked before but he was willing to do so now. What did it matter what kind of creep picked them up? He needed to get to his brother and warn him about the cloud monster floating about.

Jet kept an eye out as well though he was a little more realistic about the situation. "You know nobody's gonna pick up two guys, right? Especially since we're both older?"

"I'm not that old." Sam retorted without even a glance at the other male, his hand carefully nestled in his pocket to keep Castiel steady. Cas quietly rested against the support, finding himself exhausted after such a long flight with the emerald. His appreciation for the kindness was unending, he was surprised at how gentle this Sam was, how considerate; it was a nice change.

"Doesn't matter, you're still old enough to look threatening, not to mention were both pretty damn tall." Jet looked back down the road behind them for a car after hearing the familiar sound of an engine. "Whoever picks us up is most likely going to be insane or just as dangerous as we look."

"I look like a college student that's been ill for the last year," Sam pointed out conversationally, "Speak for yourself."

"Fine, speaking on my own behalf; No one is going to give us  _both_  a ride."

"Then you'll have to meet me there."

"Not funny."

Sam shrugged with a laugh, his hand stuck out in hopes the car would slow down for him. He barely furrowed his brow as it passed by, sighing lightly to himself. Jet was probably right; the situation wasn't going to go by very quickly. Sam could feel his stomach twist in anxious knots, he didn't know where that monster was going, where it'd pop up or even what it could do. Dean was sitting around unaware of what it was, what if he was alone? Or they didn't see it coming in time? It was after a Castiel, if it couldn't differentiate between the two then the priest might be in danger. Sam clenched his fist and grit his teeth, "Then we need to make someone stop, this is important."

Jet frowned and stepped onto the road, "Then we stop someone."

"Are you nuts?" Sam protested, running up to his friend and tugging him back, "You can't just stand in the middle of the road-"

"You're right, they'll see me from a long way's off and just go around..." Jet mused to himself, humouring Sam by letting himself be pulled off the asphalt. "Run?"

Sam nodded, "Looks that way, yeah."

With the adjoined agreement the two started to run. For the next fifteen minutes Sam barely gave it another thought, even as he heard the roar of an engine approaching again he kept himself focused on his pace, hoping they could make it further faster this way. He hadn't considered Jet's usual nature and when the man veered left and stopped Sam could only skitter to a halt and spin around to stare. Jet had thrown his arms into the air and waved frantically at the semi truck heading directly for him, shouting something that was lost to the Winchester. Sam had already bolted back to his friend's side as he heard the telltale sounds of a big rig's brakes. But big trucks couldn't stop on a dime and it was much to close to Jet to amount to anything but road kill. Luckily for the hotheaded young man, Sam was quick on his feet and fast enough to yank Jet away from imminent pancake-dom.

"Have you  _LOST IT_!?" Sam screamed as he shook Jet firmly, his chest heaving in ragged breaths.

"Not so much," Jet smiled a little and pat his pseudo-little brother on the head before brushing Sam's hands off his shirt. With a quick wink he ran around to the truck driver's door, an older, larger man staring down at him in disbelief. "Hey!"

Sam stared with a similar expression to the driver, still trying to catch his breath. He knew Jet could be stubborn. He knew he could be crazy. He even knew that Jet could be the most charming son of a bitch he'd ever met. That didn't mean Sam was aware of just  _how_  good Jet was.

Before he knew it they were speeding down the highway, the truck driver having even offered the contents of his mini-fridge to the two young men in his bunk.


	17. Small Problem: Fighting Air

_Fragments of Memories_

" _You know it's a little weird…" Castiel mused quietly; mostly to himself though Dean was conveniently nearby to hear him, "I can't remember the last time I just sat inside on a weekend."_

_Dean looked over at him, glanced up from Castiel's fidgeting fingers on the table to his calm expression. It wasn't a statement that required an answer, so he didn't give one, instead he rose from his spot on the couch and moved from the living room to the kitchen. Standing behind the soft-spoken man he'd come to know over the years Dean rested his arms around Castiel's shoulders. He leaned down onto Cas and let his weight lay there, hands crossing over his lover's chest and around his sides to hold him, head heavily left against the other's. It was a gesture to show he was there, that he was listening, and just to give Castiel the sense that he was loved._

_Castiel smiled and leaned into the familiar pressure, closing his eyes and relaxing. Sometimes Dean knew exactly what he needed without even a hint that there was a problem._

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 3**

Dean sat across from himself, both hunter and priest looking fairly unimpressed with the other as Sam and Castiel conversed between themselves about the latest goings on. Dean watched his partner as the other Dean watched his brother, then back to each other, then back to the other males in the room and so on and so forth until they couldn't quite remember why they were glaring in the first place. The priest sighed and leaned back, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Time didn't seem to be going by fast enough and even then, he didn't know how long they'd be waiting.

"What if something happened to your friend?" He finally blurted out, looking at his counterpart who only hardened his expression further.

"He's fine, just taking his time." The gruff reply wasn't good enough and Dean was about to say something more when Castiel spoke over him.

"It's something to consider," He lifted his hand to stop his Dean from making a scene or complaining more, "We're here for a reason. It means something isn't right in this world which means whatever you're used to might change."

"He's right, Dean." Sam shrugged as he received the 'whose side are you on' face from his brother, "Maybe we should go look for him?"

"Where we gonna start, huh?" The older hunter snapped agitatedly, "He flew off to Greece for Christ's sake. Want me to start phoning my pals over there to ask if they've seen a guy in a trench coat that may or may not have gone to an old ruin?"

Sam lifted his hands in defeat, not bothering to say anything more on the subject. Castiel looked between them and smiled a bit, the corner of his mouth twitching upward as he realized what he was seeing. "You're worried about him." He said more as a statement than a question, his head tilted as he eyed the other Dean curiously.

"What?" That same, rough tone laced with an anxiety that most people would chalk up to a bad mood, but Castiel knew better. "No-"

"I can hear it in your voice, Dean. Don't lie to me." Cas kept a straight face as he spoke, eyes piercing into Dean's until the other looked away. "I've heard it before, you're worried about him and you don't know how to deal with it so you get angry."

"Yeah, whatever." Was the only reply Castiel received, earning a bit of a laugh from Sam. They shared an amused glance but Cas didn't say anything more on the topic. He wished he could explain how he knew, how he could recognize that sound anywhere. He'd heard Dean's voice too many times in his life; too many times there was the long and strangled crack in his tone as he tried to find a way to express himself. Dean had never been good at it, had never really been able to deal with his loved one when they were hurting, with his own uselessness. Cas could see it so easily and there was nothing he could use as an example that wouldn't be too revealing to his own partner.

Part of him wondered why he was hiding it, why he wouldn't tell Dean who his husband had been, who he'd given his life to. But the rest of him answered that question pretty quickly, it'd be too complicated, it'd get in the way of the job they had to do, it'd make things harder than they needed to be. Not that it wasn't hard for Castiel already but it'd be easier if it weren't hard for Dean at the same time, spare him the mess.

The other Dean fiddled with his over coat, sifting his hand into the back of it a few times before groaning tiredly, "Can we at least go look for Sam and Jet?" He looked at Castiel with the hint of lost patience in his face.

Before Cas could answer, however, there was a loud knocking at the door followed by a familiar voice, "Hey, open up!" It was Sam, sounding much younger than the hunter sitting at the table only making the brothers look at one another in a way that said more between them than their guests could really read.

Castiel smiled and motioned toward the door, "I think that'd be Sam."

Dean grinned, dropping his uniformed coat-edge and hurried to answer it, swinging the door open to see his brother's face light up with recognition. "Hey Sammy," he breathed a sigh of relief, neither hesitating to move forward into a hug. Dean rubbed his hand through Sam's hair as an attempted gesture of normalcy, something that he used to do when Sam was sick to comfort him. "I'm glad you're alright." He glanced up from over Sam's shoulder at the grin on Jet's face, his best friend giving a quick little wave of acknowledgement.

Before answering Sam had closed his eyes and took that moment to enjoy the sense of safety he felt with Dean there. "Mostly, yeah." He smiled half-heartedly before lifting his hand from his pocket, "Except for this." Castiel peered up with wide eyes, not prepared to leave the shelter of Sam's sweater.

Dean looked down and gawked at the sight, a 15cm (6in) tall Castiel perched on his brother's palm. The little angel looked almost mortified at being taken out into the light of day, curling in on himself and ducking his head, eyes still focused up on Dean's face.

"This isn't the same Dean," mini-Cas spoke after a moment, his voice still surprisingly low despite his size, "You're a dimension traveller as well then?"

" _CAS_!?" hunter-Dean bolted from his seat to his angel's side, unable to decide on a reaction to Castiel's size. "You're… you're so…" he gestured to the angel a few times with a lack of words to carry the rest of his sentence.

"Small… yes." Cas nodded, Sam noting the 'brave face' he was suddenly putting up. It was kind of cute to see from a different perspective. It was becoming a pattern, or at least it seemed to be the case for the only two worlds they'd been to.

"And naked…" the older of the two Dean's continued causing Castiel to flinch a little. It was subtle and only Sam could feel it through his hand, but it had still happened.

"Ah… yes… I haven't found anything yet." Mini-Cas curled his lower lip in for a moment to bite it, his gaze immediately finding somewhere else to focus on as he tried to hide himself further. The little bit of self-consciousness he'd managed to lose came right back to him. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Sam reminded him gently, a hand coming around and shielding Cas' body from Dean, both of them. He looked up at his not-brother brother and frowned, "If you don't like it then don't look."

"Hey I-" Dean was about to find a way to defend himself when the other Castiel nudged him aside.

"Never said you didn't like it, yes, yes we know." He muttered as he leaned over to look at his smaller self, the little angel slightly preoccupied with being grateful for Sam's generosity. "This isn't caused by anything I'm aware of…" He furrowed his brow and gently prodded shrunken-Cas with his finger.

A surprised yelp followed by a smack at the hand was the angel's reaction, Cas glaring up at himself and shifting further behind Sam's hand. "It was from the emerald I went to get, which I had to drop," he looked at the hunters he knew, "My apologies."

"Why'd you drop it?" Sam asked as he walked closer, also wanting to get a better look at the small problem which was evidently as naked as his brother had surmised before him.

Castiel frowned and glared at the hunters who had the same expression of 'why' instead of the concern he'd expected, though Dean's was a tad harder to understand. "There was something about to  _eat me_ , I was a little more worried about that than a gem. But if you absolutely must know, yes I feel terrible for dropping it. Is that what you want to hear? That I'm miserable because you didn't get a stupid cursed object?"

"Cas, calm down." Sam hushed him, cradling him a little closer. Castiel wanted to snap back at him with the words 'I'm not some child that needs to be protected or sheltered' but it'd be too much like biting the hand that feeds you. Sam had been so kind to him thus far and he'd really rather not.

"I'm sorry, I just…" Cas took a deep breath and tried to relax himself a little. "I am a little overwhelmed."

"It's alright," The taller Castiel reassured briefly before looking up at the newly arriving Sam and Jet, "So did you see what was after him?"

"Yeah," Jet gestured upward, "It was a black cloud that moved however it wanted. What do you people call that?"

"Aer," Castiel mused, his brow furrowing as his lips pursed together, his mind moving elsewhere than the conversation.

"Eyer? You mean air?" Jet tried to mimic the way the priest had rolled the word on his tongue though failed to do so in the same way. It sounded kind of stupid, and he wasn't sure he understood the pronunciation. "You literally call it air?"

"Aer," Castiel repeated, "It means air, mist, ether, whatever you wish."

Dean stared at his partner for an answer to a question he hadn't asked, waiting for the explanation since Castiel always seemed to give one. The other Dean was much more impatient however, "And?" He snapped, reaching over and snatching his angel back from an unknown Sam and possibly a threat. "What does it do?" Mini-Cas yelped lightly from the suddenly movement but carefully nestled onto Dean without much more of a fuss.

"Nothing, really." Castiel shrugged and moved past Sam and Jet to stand outside, eyes scanning the clouds and horizon line. "I mean, they're a nuisance but nothing dangerous. I've never gone to a world where they were the only things roaming… And just  _one?_  That's even more ridiculous."

"Well I only saw the one." The other Cas replied quickly, "Is it really so easy to take care of? Why does it need four of you?"

"Only two of us can actually do anything." Dean corrected with a smirk, earning himself a flat expression from both his brother and friend. "But that aside, Cas, what do we have to do?"

"Bait it and dissipate it with a spell."

"That's all?"

"Yeah… that's pretty much it. I've taken care of a sky full of those things before, I don't understand why I wasn't allowed in this world without a partner, this could have been solved ages ago."

"I don't think it's based on difficulty," Sam looked up thoughtfully, "How many times in the past however-many years have you seen so many you and Dean's?"

The long pause that followed gave him his answer but Sam waited anyway. "I haven't."

"That's probably it, you're here because you're meant to see these two." Sam motioned to the hunter cradling his angel in his palm protectively, little Castiel taking that cue to look up at his Dean curiously.

"That's ridiculous." The priest snapped, refusing to see it, "It's much more likely there's something else here, or this one aer isn't as harmless as I think."

"There's nothing to see between me and Cas anyway," Dean growled, his hands a little less protective around his angel as if to prove his point somehow.

The two Sam's exchanged a glance and shook their heads, nothing more to say on the subject. "So then let's get to planning," The older Sam motioned, "And get that gem back while we're at it."

"Right, what does it want?" Both Dean's asked simultaneously, neither addressing it with any kind of reaction.

"Me." Castiel rose from Dean's palm, getting everyone's attention once again, "It was after me."


	18. Small Problem: Fighting Aer

_Fragments of Memories_

" _Hey Cas…" Sam's voice, regardless of how weak, broke the silence and had Castiel's attention faster than an alarm ever would. Castiel placed his book down as he rose from the armchair he always occupied in the room, his back wet as a result from the summer heat. Most would turn on a fan or two but he'd already gotten used to the 40-degree weather (104 in Fahrenheit)._

" _Yes?" He nestled next to Sam's bedside, moving over the mounds of blankets covering the young man and brushed the stray hairs from his forehead. Cas tried not to let Sam's clammy cold sweat get to him, it would only serve to upset him and at that moment he needed to remain positive for his family._

_Sam smiled at him meekly, barely flinching at the touch this time. "It's… cold in… h-here."_

" _I'm sorry, baby, I can't turn the heat up any more." Cas replied softly, "I'll get you more blankets."_

* * *

**Small Problem World: Part 4**

Back along the tree line where Castiel had dropped the emerald, the team had gathered, the simple plan being pushed through despite a few taking issue with it. They chose a clearing to set up, a space that mini-Cas could sit in broad daylight while the others took cover. To Sam's request, the hunter Dean was positioned closest to his angel. It didn't even matter which Sam suggested it because the other agreed with the motion immediately. While they were positioning themselves Castiel discovered the emerald lying in the tall grass, his boot nudging it and making a sound very unlike a rock.

"This yours?" He asked as he lifted it up, looking at the two hunters for clarification, tossing it their way.

"Yep," Sam lifted his hand to catch and pocket the thing, giving his brother a nod before disappearing into the trees.

"This isn't a good idea." Dean muttered grumpily. He was close to Castiel, right next to him but out of sight from above. He glanced down at the angel who barely seemed nervous about the whole situation, sitting atop a branch letting his legs dangle down. Still undressed but wrapped in a torn cloth as some sort of toga, Cas played with the petals of a nearby flower. Dean was a little surprised to see how calm he looked, Castiel wasn't often used as the bait Dean would have thought he'd be more on edge than he appeared. "You aren't nervous?"

"Of course I am," Castiel chuckled softly, "Dean, since I was shrunk I've been weaker, I can't remember as much as I'd known before, I get tired and a little hungry. I don't know what's happening to me but right now I don't have time to be scared." He looked up at the worried face Dean wore, eyes tracing it vaguely before he smiled sadly and turned away. His fingers fiddled with the soft pink flower, tightening around a petal and plucking it free. "The other Castiel believes this thing to be more dangerous than his first impression, but he only thinks so because there could not possibly be anything he was here to witness."

Dean furrowed his brow as he caught something in Castiel's tone that didn't quite fit. He sounded strained, like he was holding onto something, a meaning his words weren't making on their own. "What do you mean?"

"'There's nothing to see between me and Cas anyway,'" Castiel repeated and Dean recognized the words as his own from earlier.

"Cas… I'm sorry." Dean looked down at the ground for a moment before returning his gaze to Castiel's disheartened expression. "I… I shouldn't have said it like that."

Castiel looked up at him, the hurt slowly being replaced by curiosity. "How should you have said it?"

"I meant it as in what you and I have or… whatever, it's not something I want other people watching. It's private and…" He struggled with the words but he couldn't just stop talking with Castiel looking at him like that. "…personal. It's personal and I don't want other people watching us like that."

The smile that took over Cas' face was overwhelming and for moment Dean had forgotten where they were. "May I be honest for a moment?" Cas broke his concentration with the question, the tone a little softer than it had been before.

"Go ahead," Dean smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, I am nervous, I'm scared…" Cas looked away as he curled his lower lip in, biting it anxiously before continuing. "I am afraid that this monster is worse than it normally would be, that it's a larger threat. But at the same time I've faced things that were able to kill me before and I came out fine so I don't see why I should be all that worried." He fidgeted, again plucking a petal free and sighed, looking up at the sky for some kind of black clot. "And yet… I can't stop the shaking." His voice broke with the words and Dean was about to call it off right then and there.

He would have, too, if the aer hadn't descended on them like lightning. A loud crash of wind all but blew Castiel from his perch, the miniature angel clinging for dear life but not able to hold on. His hands slipped, a sharp cry tearing from his throat as he hurdled backward, anticipating the painful crack of the trees behind him.

Dean's reflexes were faster than either gave him credit for, his hand snapping out and snatching his angel in mid-air. Castiel's hands scrambled for something to hold onto, scratching and pinching as he found purchase in the flesh of Dean's forearm and wrist. "Holy shit," Dean breathed, his arms fumbling a little to cradle his angel and get at his gun again. His eyes were wide as a disembodied face leered down at him, the smokey space forming a body behind it. Dean jerked backward, shielding and hiding Castiel from the wispy hand that reached for him.

The moment went by so fast, the aer thrashing forward as it tried to break away from a sudden hold on it. Dean relaxed a little as the thing flailed backward threw the air, its grabby hands far away from his angel. The chant that had been previously lost in the gusting winds overpowered the immediate area, Castiel the priest compressing the aer into a ball between his palms.

"Whoa," Jet settled next to Dean and laughed, "Dude that's a lot of memorization you're gonna have to deal with."

"Shut up, I'm getting that." Dean replied, eyes glued to his partner, something in his mind telling him to keep an eye out. It wasn't that he sensed trouble or that Castiel needed his help, he just felt more comfortable watching and making sure everything was all right. It was all over so smoothly, Castiel crushed the ball of gas with the last of his incantation and that was it. Done. "Easiest one so far." Dean called out as he approached Castiel, the priest absently rubbing his hands off on his coat.

"Yes well… it was definitely nothing worth writing home about."

"So that's it? We're done?"

"Basically, let's get going." Castiel sighed and motioned for the others to come closer.

"What do you mean by 'basically'?" Dean shifted around to stand in front of his partner, not letting Castiel look away. "Is there something else about these things I should know about?"

"Nothing we need to worry ourselves with."

Dean watched Castiel's face for a moment, not letting him get away so easily. "What is it, Cas?"

Castiel glanced over at the hunters and their angel, Dean cupping mini-Cas close to his chest before lifting him up to kiss the top of his head. "The thing about the aer is that they tend to mess more with the dimension than just a little bit, they alter the timeline and twist everything out of sorts if they're left too long. It seems we got to this one soon enough that the timeline can go back to the way it was, however that means resetting it."

"Resetting to  _when_?" Dean gawked before following Cas' line of sight. He felt a hitch in his chest when he saw the way little Cas nuzzled his hunter's nose, an adorable laugh fading on the wind. "Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

"No, there isn't. It'll reset to an earlier period before the aer altered anything serious but I don't know for sure when that will be. Perhaps we'll save him from being shrunk in the first place." Castiel offered a thought meant to be uplifting but it didn't take. "Come on, we should keep moving."

Dean remained in place as his partner passed him by, watching the two who seemed to newly find their relationship with one another. It was so sweet, to see someone discover their feelings and find them mutual in the other person. Dean couldn't remember the last relationship he'd had that worked, but he didn't think he'd ever been as happy with someone as the other him was with Castiel at that moment. And now he was leaving, knowing they'd never remember this and that they may never get together because of it. None of it seemed fair.

"Dean, come on." Sam called, breaking his thought process. "Cas says there's probably something more important waiting out there, we're wasting time."

' _Are we wasting our time?'_  Dean thought as he followed his brother's beckoning.

None of them thought it worth it to go and give a heartfelt goodbye, not the hunters anyway but little Castiel flew over and landed on Sam's shoulder. "Thank you for everything." He spoke softly before hugging the side of Sam's head affectionately.

"You're welcome," Sam rubbed his back in return and shooed him playfully, "Now get back over there, you're boyfriend's waiting."

Cas blushed and nodded, taking his leave and allowing the others to go in peace, returning to his Dean as the other took one last look at the couple. Dean shook his head and followed the others into the portal, vanishing from that dimension and leaving it to reset itself.

* * *

**Mainline**

"Cas slow down," Sam urged as they hurried down the road, "I think we should stop and think about this for a second."

"Think about what?" Cas turned around, his tone not annoyed but it still sounded fairly close.

"About when we travel to the dimensions, we always seem to get separated. Is there a way to stop it? What if next time someone's alone?"

Castiel furrowed his brow and glanced over at Dean for a moment as if to say 'I said they shouldn't come' but continued to speak to Sam anyway, "I understand you're concerned but at the moment there's nothing we can do about it. It's randomized, we held hands and went in a completely different order but Dean and I still wound up together. There's nothing more we can do short of tying ourselves to one another."

Jet shrugged and pat Sam on the shoulder, "What are you so worried about, man? You were pretty awesome back there, we don't need these jokers."

Sam smiled, appreciative of Jet's attempt at least, "Yeah, aside from you and the freaking semi truck."

"Hey, I would've been a pancake."

"What?" Dean laughed, catching up and leaning over toward Sam, "You saved Jet's life and I missed it?"

"I know, I regret it too," Sam smirked at Jet's fake-shocked expression.

"You're all impossible." Cas muttered as he continued on ahead, hiding the smile that pulled on his lips.


	19. Mainline: Meaningful Moments

_Some time later…_

**Mainline**

World after world and it started to seem like the same story. They burst into the scene, separated or not, it didn't matter because they quickly found each other then the monsters and exterminated them. And then back to the mainline to do it again. The problem was that the monsters weren't diverse, they continually ran into the aer creatures, one at a time. Dean was finding that after the sixth or seventh aer in a row he was starting to memorize that incantation that Castiel had recited earlier on. In fact Sam had learned the chant before he did and as it turned out regular people were just as useful when chanting spells.

Dean was starting to feel like it was all so monotonous, like this adventure was nothing more than a day job. Maybe it was the enemies that continually cropped up or maybe it was the 'go go go' mentality that Castiel used to approach it. Dean remembered that Cas had spent a few days at their house, several in town perched on the statue, why had he spent so much time? And though Dean wanted to know the answer he couldn't quite bring himself to ask it directly. It felt like a more private conversation, not appropriate to bring up around Sam and Jet. But that didn't stop him from trying to approach the topic.

"Is this really what you've been doing for ages?" Dean asked absently as they trekked the mainline once again, looking for something of more importance. Castiel seemed more and more on edge as they went through the last few worlds, an aer each and every time. The worlds reset once they'd gone, each time Castiel and Dean had met themselves, or some version of them. Dean hadn't missed the pattern they'd come across, each Dean and Castiel they'd met was close, really close. Either they were together or hadn't tried yet but it was clear that that's where they were heading. It was another thing he wanted to ask about but again he couldn't find a way to ask.

Cas glanced over to his partner for a moment before answering in a mutter "More or less, except things had never been so… ridiculous." His teeth started to grind together as he let the thought fester.

"Ridiculous how?" Sam leaned around his other side to see his face, taking note of how tired Castiel's eyes looked. Cas always seemed tired but now he just looked worn out.

"I mean all of the aer that we've come across, it's getting ridiculous." He threw his hands into the air in frustration, letting them drop and dangle at his sides as if useless to him. "I've never seen them do this before, it's like the large group they would normally travel in split up to cover more ground or something. It's just strange, they have a hive-mind with their group so how in the world does it work for them to go to separate places?" Cas rambled mostly to himself, stopping to stare down into the void below them. His face twisted as he thought further, eyes narrowing the longer the stared, "And what's more, these are all worlds I couldn't get to before, I don't understand the connection."

"Yeah, I still don't think I get that one part." Jet piped in, knowing he'd probably irritate the man further but had no qualms with it. "What are you talking about when you say you couldn't get to those worlds before? They were blocked off or something?"

"Essentially, yes." Cas glanced Jet's way briefly before looking back to the main road and the little fires that lit up the world entrances, "The colours of these fires are important, I believe we've covered this when we first got here."

"Yeah yeah, I get  _that_ ; one colour means the place is active and needs saving, another colour means the world is accessible but nothing's going on, and another colour means the place is shut down completely. Whatever. What I don't get is why certain ones wouldn't let you in."

"I needed my partner, there's a certain point where a high priest can go no further alone. It isn't up to the priest, either, it's more of a destiny thing."

Jet made a face and sputtered a scoff at that, "Wow, really?"

"You're travelling between dimensions and realities, Jet, are you really taking the disbelieving path now?" Cas responded without looking back this time, his patience having already run too thin.

Jet lifted his hands in surrender, "Sorry, stepping on toes I guess."

Dean smirked but said nothing more until he spotted a world off the path, far below them with a fire lit up, blazing in the shadows of the void. "Cas, hold up, what's that one doing down there?"

"That world is lost to us right now," Castiel's tone had grown exasperated with all of the questions, he was starting to get really tired of being the exposé. "As you can see we can't reach it without falling into the void so leave it be."

"But-"

"I said  _leave it_!" Cas snapped suddenly, his voice echoing and overpowering in the otherwise silent realm. He'd gone from annoyed to downright pissed like a switch had been flipped. It was a good indication to leave the subject alone, but when was a Winchester ever not stubborn?

Dean frowned and looked back down to it, looking for some kind of way to get down there. If they wanted something worth their while then pursuing the impossible should be their first step, shouldn't it? Castiel's approach was all wrong, Dean hadn't known enough before to really think so but he was starting to figure more and more out. And the longer he considered the way they were going about things the more he wanted to change it. "How long have you been doing this Cas?"

The other priest slowed his pace, already not liking where Dean's tone had gone but saw no real reason not to answer. "A few centuries, why?"

"How much headway have you made? If this is what things are like now then how bad were they?"

Castiel stopped and turned to stand in front of Dean, each could feel the brush of the other's clothing and knew how close they were standing. For a long moment they stared at one another, neither spoke as they held eye contact until Castiel finally growled out the words he'd been choking on, "You're suggesting the way I've been doing it isn't working, I take it?"

"I'm just thinking that you have a partner now for a reason, I think we should find a new way to handle things." Dean replied just as forcefully as Cas had, refusing to back down. "Just because you've been at this longer doesn't make you the end-all-be-all, you make mistakes too."

"Far fewer than yourself, at least I know how to stay alive in this mess-"

"When you're alone, but you've got three other people with you now! The same tactics don't apply!"

"Guys," Sam interjected and pushed the two apart, leaving his hands up to keep them that way. "Chill out, alright? We're still figuring this thing out, we don't know what works for the team just yet and that's okay. At least we're learning with the weak ones, right?"

Castiel exhaled heavily through his nose before he backed down and turned to continue along the mainline. He and Dean did nothing but fight lately, if they'd ever not fought, that is. The last time they'd had a meaningful moment was when he'd nearly killed himself in the post apocalyptic world. Of course, not that he wanted one in the first place. He continued to tell himself it didn't matter whether they had anything special between them or not, what mattered was getting the work done.

But the more he told himself that the more often they came across the stupidest worlds and missions he'd ever seen. Passing from one realm to the next seemed to be like going to the same one over and over again. There was a pattern he was missing, a puzzle that needed solving and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Let's just pick a place that looks a bit different and hope for the best, how's that sound?" Sam suggested earnestly trying to help, he didn't like to see the two of them fight like that.

"Fine," Dean spat, "But I don't want him picking this time."

Sam could have slapped him but Castiel didn't respond the way he'd expected. Instead of fuming and exploding, Cas paused and lowered his head for a moment before nodding silently. "Then I think Sam should choose."

"Really?" Sam's face lit up as if he'd been waiting for this. "You mean it?"

"Yes," Cas smiled at him genuinely, a look that almost distracted Sam from how old Cas sounded. "Please, just point one out and we'll go."

Sam knew stress when he saw it but there was nothing to be helped by bringing it up. Instead he nodded eagerly and hurried ahead to look at the different options, there were so many and while he wanted to go to the one Dean had mentioned he knew better.

As they followed Sam, Dean was watching Castiel's back but his anger and frustration was slowly drifting away, something more curious replacing it. Cas was normally pretty good with answering questions, something Dean figured came with the job, but not this time. This time he snapped, lost his patience and kept a tight lip. Was it personal or had something changed? And that wasn't the only thing, Dean remembered having dreams of Castiel when he'd seen him perched on that statue for days but they had never come up again. One in particular put him on edge, the night he'd met Castiel, when the demoni first attacked. "Cas," He started a little less confrontationally this time, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Castiel looked at him with a bit of uneasiness but nodded all the same, "We'll catch up with you," he told Sam when the younger man had turned to them.

"Right, I'll have one picked out by then."

"You better." Jet smirked and ruffled Sam's hair as he passed him by.

Cas turned to Dean once the others were out of earshot. "What is it?"

"I… is it possible to know something about someone else before you've met them?" Dean watched Castiel's eyes narrow a little at the question, only able to wish he knew what was going on in that head.

"As in… something more personal than just what they look like?"

"Yes," The exasperation in his voice wasn't intentional though he couldn't help but wonder if Cas was just being a smartass. "Like their past, or something?"

"Why? Did you see something?" Castiel shifted his body to angle away from Dean, trying to keep their exchange more impersonal.

"Yeah…"

"…Of?"

The long pause after his question answered it for him, Castiel reeled on Dean and forced him forward, hand wrapped in the front of his shirt and yanking him closer. "What did you see?" He hissed in a whisper, eyes narrowing further.

"Nothing! I don't know!" Dean answered quickly, leaning back to try and show he wasn't looking for a fight, "I don't know if it was  _you_  specifically, but it was a Castiel."

"It had to have been me, you don't have a connection with anyone else." Cas grumbled but let go all the same. "What did you see?" This time the question was uttered with less aggression, Castiel stepping back again with a minor look of apology.

"I only saw you, but I was… I couldn't move my own body, I couldn't stop it."

"What were you doing?"

"I was strangling you." Dean's face cracked from the strong-man persona and let the distress show, "I… I couldn't stop it and I just saw your face draining and-"

"Dean," Castiel hushed him with a word and a light brush of skin as his hand grazed Dean's cheek, "It's alright, do I look dead to you?"

"Sometimes," Dean answered quietly, wondering where this sudden 'showing of emotion' thing came from. A rush of feelings and pain hit his chest like it had the first time and he felt choked up. Last time he had to go for a drive and that's how they had met, he'd accidentally stumbled on the remains of Castiel's battleground and the priest along with the mess. It was so weird to know just a while later here he was, with that same man.

Castiel was quiet for a moment but didn't run away or brush anything off like Dean was being an over sensitive baby. He honestly looked to be contemplating the best way to approach the topic, like he really did want to help. "When did you have this dream?"

"The night we met, right before."

"Ah, well that makes a lot more sense." Cas smirked a little though it was far from secure, "Sometimes the celestials will speak to us directly, and sometimes they'll influence our dreams or our situations entirely just to make something happen. It's part of their plan; there's no real way you could have had that dream on your own."

Dean laughed awkwardly and nodded, "Those bastards, literally giving me nightmares."

Cas chuckled and nodded, "Yes, well they're capable of more than just that."

As Dean was about to nod and agree the reality of Castiel's words struck him, "Wait, so that actually happened to you? Who tried to kill you?"

"My husband." Cas hesitated to respond but he still did, glancing away and trying to find something, anything else to look at.

Dean remembered having that conversation back before the demoni had woken in Sam, when he and Castiel had gone to get groceries together.

" _What's your last name?"_

" _Winchester."_

His eyes widened slowly as Castiel started to turn away, catching up to Sam and Jet. Dean's mouth felt dry as his brain started to connect the dots he'd had for far too long.

" _So wait, you kind of know us, right? Was there another version of Sam and me in your world? Is this why you're nice to Sam all the time and not me? Were you and Sam, you know… married or something?"_

Dean's hand slowly lifted to touch the spot that Castiel's had brushed over.

" _Wait, Winchester? Really? Does that mean we're related?"_

" _In a way, I suppose… No."_

He'd changed his mind so fast back then. And the conversation before that had covered how Castiel had been treating him unfairly, that if they were going to act like they were related then he'd have to continue the ill treatment. At that point Dean couldn't figure out why Cas was so awful to him and not Sam. It was assumed that if Castiel was married to one of the Winchesters then he'd be loving toward them.

' _But Cas' husband tried to kill him. He wouldn't treat them well after something like that.'_  Dean thought as he stared into the distance, though his eyes hadn't seen anything besides the memories playing across his mind. "It was me…" he whispered distantly. "He was married to a-"

"Dean!" Sam's voice shattered his concentration, "Come on, I found one, let's go!"

Dean shook his head and looked up again, staring at Castiel who stood next to Sam, the other priest returning his gaze the way he'd always done. Was there something he should say? Something he should do? He had no idea.

"Dean!"

"Coming!" He called and hurried to catch up, he'd deal with it later.


	20. Ugly Duckling: You Like Him

_Fragments of Memories:_

_Dean brushed a hand through Castiel's hair, over and over again as he tried to soothe him. "It's okay," he whispered tiredly, his own mind already telling him that was the wrong thing to say. "Cas, baby, it's okay."_

" _How?" Castiel snapped his head up, tears streaming down his cheeks, "He was fine two days ago! How is it okay? How can you of all people say that?"_

" _Sam's a tough kid, he'll be fine." Dean whispered and Castiel finally realized the look on his lover's face; the amount of pain there was unbelievable. Dean looked destroyed, worn down and ruined. Cas sniveled and wiped his eyes, trying his hardest to pull himself back together._

" _I'm sorry," He sobbed, "Dean, I'm so sorry."_

_Dean smiled sadly and pulled him against his chest, "It's okay, Cas."_

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 1**

Music blasted across the house, no one was home but him and no one else needed to be. Castiel turned the volume up and started his house cleaning chores as per usual. The intro boiled his blood and energized his limbs as the first hints of Fall Out Boy started to slip into the mix. He'd always been an 'Adam Lambert' kind of guy but he just couldn't help himself and really he could add whatever he wanted to his iPod. Cas started with the kitchen moving plates and putting things away. As always he broke into song when he had the chance. "B-B-Be careful making wishes in the dark-dark, can't be sure when they'll hit their-" He swung his hip and closed a drawer to emphasize the verse's beat "-mark."

That morning had been amazing, he'd woken with Dean's work alarm and managed to make a decent meal before his husband had gotten ready to leave. Their house was kind of big for two people but it didn't really matter He danced to the stereo's beat, every movement matching up as if he'd breathed the tune like air. "Gonna need a spark to ignite. My songs know what you did in the dark." His hip sway slowed along with the music, all work stopped when the next part of the song pounded across the house. The young man rocking out to one of his new favourite song, Castiel cried out the lyrics on time, within the rhythm and even in key.

Castiel went back to the kitchen after his little rock session, still singing loudly to himself as he filled the sink, all dishes piled to the left with the drying basin to his right. Cas didn't admit it most of the time but when he had a system for something he was a little OCD about it, the night before he'd tried to wash dishes with Dean and had nearly lost it when Dean did it the other way. Instead he'd coaxed him to bed without even mentioning he'd had an issue, insisting that they have sex instead and that he'd get to it the next day.

Obviously Dean had no qualms with the request, and Castiel managed to avoid a fight. Win win situation.

He was in the process of drying the dishes when he felt the floorboards shake. Cas looked down briefly, as if that would make a difference. He then looked out the window to see if there were more people than just him experiencing it. A silly thought, he realized that but it didn't stop the thought from occurring. He stared out at the sky, nothing seemed different, the other houses looked fine, so why were his floorboards quaking? The entire house had groaned in reaction to it but after the first few seconds nothing else happened. What's more it had groaned loud enough that Castiel could hear it over his music.

Cas stood in silence for a few seconds, moving to the living room to turn the volume down to a near whisper. His eyes scanned around as his limbs stiffened, was someone in the house? "Dean?" He called out hesitantly, "Is that you?"

There was a loud grunt followed by a rustling and a thud, the closet door upstairs sounded like it had crashed open and someone had fallen out, if Cas had to guess. He grabbed a large knife from their stainless steel set and moved to the bottom of the stairs, "Who's up there? I have a weapon and a phone, I'll call the police!" He shouted roughly, a little displeased with the way his voice shook.

"Don't be scared," it was Dean's voice.

"Oh my god, you asshole!" Cas cried and dropped his arms in relief, hurrying up the stairs to see what was going on. "Why didn't you just say yes when I asked if it was you?"

"Sorry, guess I didn't hear you."

Cas slowed his pace for a moment, staring at the weird coat Dean was wearing, "Why are you home?" He laughed softly, kneeling next to Dean and brushing a bit of lint from his shoulders. "I thought you were working until six tonight."

"Uh," Dean swallowed nervously and started to get up and away from Cas, "Yeah about that uhm-"

"Did you get fired?" Cas stared at him, slowly getting up and seemingly unfazed by Dean's skittish behaviour.

The priest fidgeted a second, unable to come up with something to say. He was entirely frazzled, he hadn't even had a chance to gather his wits about Castiel before he was face to face with another one. And this one appeared much more affectionate than the one he already knew.

"Ohh, baby it's okay." Cas cooed and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing his cheek and trailing several to his ear, "Don't be so embarrassed, how long have you been hiding this?" They weren't really questions to be addressed since Cas' hands found their way up Dean's shirt, massaging the stiff muscles in slow, soothing circles. "Don't worry, I'll make you feel better." His voice was so confident, smooth, and sexy it was starting to burn right up from Dean's neck to his ears. Cas' tongue slipped out to lick at the sweat gathering on his neck and Dean gasped lightly before pulling away and quickly shook his head.

"Cas, wait a second." He expected the other man to try and continue without listening, thinking maybe he was just feeling guilty or some crap but Castiel actually stopped and looked at him with concern.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"I'm not... I mean... This is going to sound really crazy." Dean fumbled through his words, mostly trying to get his head in the game. What had Castiel done the first time when there were no evident threats or things to take care of? He just sat on a statue and waited.

"Go on," Cas urged reassuringly, like he was earnestly listening and waiting for Dean's explanation.

Dean swallowed and dared to look into the blue eyes that looked like they held all the patience in the world for him. "You... you're really a great partner, you know that?" He managed to choke out which earned him an adorable little smile.

"Cute, Dean. But really, what's going on? Did you not get fired? Are you playing hooky?" He leaned forward accusingly, "If you're just playing hooky and I find out you'd rather sneak out of the house and back in to scare me, so help me Dean Winchester I'll-"

"It's not like that." Dean waved his hands urgently. "Cas give me a second to get my head in order, please?"

"Alright, you have a few moments. In the meantime I'm going to finish the dishes." He smiled a little and lifted his arms up, "Can I get a hug at least, mister sensitive?"

Dean looked uncomfortable but agreed all the same, spreading his arms just as Castiel pressed himself into the embrace. The priest swallowed anxiously and hugged back, not very convincingly.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble." Cas chuckled and snuck another kiss in before heading back to the stairs, "Don't act so frightened around me."

"Uh… yeah. Sorry." Dean watched the spirited male trot down to the main floor and out of sight, finally able to exhale fully. "The hell was that, Winchester?" He grumbled to himself, looking around the immediate area. At least he was busy working now; despite that being Castiel downstairs it wasn't  _his_  partner. The Cas that was married to a Dean, his life nearly taken by his husband. He was running this through his mind several times as his eyes focused in on a family photo, Castiel and himself smiling at the camera – at a wedding. Their wedding. Dean leaned in close and stared harder, they looked so young, like they'd just gotten out of high school or something.

"Oh my god…" Dean sputtered as he backed away; he was not ready for this. Everywhere. Everywhere he went there were Castiels and Deans and they were all together or in the middle of getting together, but they had a distinct relationship. Each and every time. It was unnerving, and he knew that his mind wouldn't let him get away from the thought of what Castiel had said right before all of this; the celestials cause things to happen. Was this some kind of a sign? Dean had acknowledged, though briefly, that he might have had a crush on Castiel earlier. Was it really something he could ignore and say 'coincidence' to?

Every world they'd been to had hinted at it or threw it in their faces, and recently he gets the news that sometimes the celestials set them up? Dean was  _being set up by holy beings_. It was ridiculous, wasn't it? Wasn't it? He couldn't really think of anything more ridiculous than running around with a morphing weapon hiding in his magic trench coat. Was he really in a position to question it? Not really.

"You've been just standing there for about five minutes, you know that right?" Castiel called up the stairs, a cocky little smirk on his face. "Get down here, gorgeous. I deserve some answers."

Dean listened, obediently descending to the main floor and looking at how domestic Castiel was, the mussy bedhead, a wet shirt from doing dishes by hand, and those same goddamn eyes. Every time he felt like they could see right through him. And now everything about this striking version of Cas was staring at him, waiting for him to speak.

"Sweetheart? Today would be nice."

"Right, well let's start with that," Dean regained his footing. Better to be forceful about this if he was going to be serious at all. If he were going to honestly consider his feelings for  _his_  Castiel then he needed to be forward with this one, regardless of how cute and affectionate he was. "I'm not your sweetheart."

Evidently he hadn't considered his own words before he'd uttered them because the next thing he saw were tears edging up and threatening to fall over Castiel's cheeks. "You… what?" He croaked, his expression had nearly torn itself apart; the distress had taken up his entire body let alone just his face. "Dean?"

"Wait, hold on don't cry!" Dean found himself floundering again, where were his words today? He had no idea. "Cas, I'm trying to tell you I'm not the Dean you know."

"Are you trying to say I don't know you anymore?" Cas squeaked, his hands coming up to his mouth to cover it, "Just tell me, please. I'll do my best to understand, honest. Baby, please-"

Dean gently laid a hand on Castiel's shoulder and shook his head, "Cas, that's not what I mean either.  _Your_  Dean is at work, just like you thought. Call there, I swear he'll answer."

Castiel stared at him for a long moment before speaking again, "Is this some kind of joke?" He furrowed his brow, starting to lose the humour he'd had before. "Dean-"

"Just call."

Cas reluctantly pulled his cell from the back pocket of his jeans, the same jeans Dean couldn't help but check out, and dialed the number. He kept an eye on Dean's face as it rang, the shop where his husband worked clicking to life on the other end. "Yes, hello it's Cas… Hi! Yeah, I'm fine. Is Dean there?" Cas' face turned nearly white as he got his answer, his throat bobbing anxiously before he spoke again, "Uhm… yes, could I speak to him please? I know he's busy- Thank you." He waited for Dean to pick up the other line, his eyes staring harder at the man standing in front of him. The priest smiled reassuringly, thinking he was doing a good job at explaining this time around.

" _Cas?"_

"Dean…" Cas nodded at the Dean in his house as if he understood that they weren't the same person, Dean relaxing and running a hand through his hair. Cas fiddled with the phone a bit as he turned toward the kitchen and wandered in, away from the other Dean for a moment. "Dean, baby there's a man here." His whisper sounding strained.

" _What do you mean? Cas who's there? Why do you sound scared?"_

"Because…" Cas glanced back again, curling his bottom lip in to bit it, "He looks  _exactly_  like you, he  _sounds_  like you. His name is Dean too, I'm scared."

Dean looked over from the hall and recognized the terrified look on Castiel's face, "Cas," he tried to speak slowly, "Cas, it's okay I swear I'm not here to hurt you."

Cas stared at him as his husband flipped out on the other end, asking a ton of questions he didn't really know the answer to and starting to pack up and head home, if the sounds on the other end were any indication.  _"Did you call the cops?"_

"No, I called you." Castiel's voice was a little stronger this time, "Dean, I don't… I don't think he's dangerous."

" _Cas, there's a man that looks like me but isn't me standing in front of you. I've seen enough horror movies to know that this can't be a good thing."_

"Calm down, I think I've got this." Cas tried to sound a little more reassuring this time, "If you want to get home that's up to you but I'm not in any danger so don't get into any car accidents on your way home, okay?"

" _Cas…"_  Dean sounded frustrated but reluctantly agreeing.

"Good, I'll see you later babe. Thanks for talking to me when I needed you."

The line was quiet for a bit but Cas knew Dean couldn't stay mad at him,  _"You'd better be okay when I get there."_

"I'll be fine, maybe I'll bake a pie for you." Cas teased before giving his send off and hanging up the phone. "Alright," he looked at Dean standing across from him, "You're obviously not my Dean, who are you? Why'd you let me kiss you so much? Are you some kind of dimension travelling pervert?"

Cas' questions came at him like rapid fire and Dean almost cracked a laugh at the little look of disgust and shock that took over Castiel's face. "I was distracted, I know a Castiel too and he's never done that so I was-"

"Awwww you like him!" Castiel cooed excitedly, clapping his hands together and jumping just a little bit. Dean was starting to realize just how much more flamboyant this Castiel was compared to all the others he'd run into. "That's so cute, I know that longing 'I'll take what I can get' tone you've got going there."

"I don't-!" Dean stopped himself to ask the question that Castiel was bound to say.

"You don't what?"

"I don't… know. I don't know yet."

"That's even more adorable." Cas grinned from ear to ear, a smile even brighter than the ones Dean had seen along the way. Whatever rough patches those other Castiel's had gone through in their lives, either this one never experienced it or he'd gotten over it somehow. Regardless it was amazing to see him so lit up like that. "Dean, it's not a matter of not knowing if you like him. You're uncertain of his feelings for you or whether or not you should share yours, or both. You're worried I'd bet."

Dean frowned and shook his head, "You don't know the first thing about the situation."

"No, but if there's anything I  _do_  know, it's a dynamic between a Castiel," he touched his own chest for emphasis, "and a Dean. You're in it, baby, whether you want to be or not. You already know, somewhere in that thick skull of yours, that you'd do anything for him, especially if he needed you."

There was nothing he could say to that, Castiel sounded so sure of himself.

"And now I know why you let me touch you, even if it was only for a little while. In fact, you pushing me away tells me even more."

"Like what?" The demanding level of Dean's tone was escalating; he was starting to get defensive.

Cas smiled and walked into the living room to drop onto the couch, "Well you liked it, I know you did because I have a husband that looks, sounds, and kinda acts just like you. Your skin started flushing pink, especially down your neck and chest. You made those little gasping sounds like you're trying to stay in control but you really don't want to-"

"Enough, what about me pushing you away?" Dean tried to ignore the fact that Castiel hadn't been wrong yet.

"You know I'm not your Castiel and that bothered you enough to stop me."

The words sunk in and again Dean was left standing silent, lost in thought and a blown mind. He knew he had a crush but this was insinuating something further. Did he really like Cas that much? "That workaholic, self righteous bastard? No way. You've got it wrong."

"Now you're insulting him to distance yourself from thinking about him, especially in a kind light." Cas pointed out, matter-of-factly like he was reading a recipe.

"Shut up!"

"You're out of arguments so you tell me to shut up."

Dean opened his mouth but realized the only thing he would have said to that was either another 'shut up' or 'fuck you'. "Stop it…"

"Sorry," Cas turned and looked at him with that smile again, "I just don't care much for bullshit, or bullies. If you like him, then like him and tell him so. Hurting him won't help you, and neither will lying to yourself."

Dean wasn't sure if he'd ever heard more helpful words from Sam Winchester himself, and that kid was good at the whole 'words of wisdom' thing. "Cas," He smiled a little and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I… You're right. I like him."

Castiel brightened and nodded eagerly, "So tell him?"

"I can't."

Deflated would be an understatement for Cas' sudden mood swing. "Why?"

"Because he used to be married to a Dean and… that Dean tried to kill him." He was having a hard time explaining but it all made sense in his head. "I've barely been able to keep him from hating me outright. I can't say I like him, it'll-"

"You  _can_." Cas urged, not caring how many times he'd interrupted. "Dean, you don't know him that well yet but if he's being mean to you because of what some other Dean did, then he's trying to separate the two of you but he can't quite do it. He likes you, I really think that."

"Do you play match maker with your friends?"

"Yes." Cas answered curtly but brushed it aside like it meant nothing, "Just try it."

"I have a bad feeling about that…" Dean fidgeted with the edges of his coat, "He's still really hurt by it. What if me saying that makes it worse?"

Cas paused and sat back on the couch, staring at the wall for a moment. "Then… gambling is your best bet. You'll get nowhere if you don't do anything."

"But isn't nowhere better than backward?"

"Well, if you can spend the rest of your life knowing you love this guy but never told him then by all means, continue with how you're doing things."

And that shut him right up.


	21. Ugly Duckling: Stanford University

_Fragments of Memories_

_A sharp scream echoed across the house, cut short by high-pitched laughter. Castiel squirmed on the bed as Dean's hands pinched up his sides and tickled as his legs, finding every opportunity to catch his baby off guard. Cas shrieked again and tried to swat the stronger man away but it had no effect, Dean continued the tickling onslaught without slowing down._

" _DEAN!" Cas cried again, this time attempting to weasel off the mattress but his hips were caught and he was dragged back far too easily. "Oh my god! Stop!" Tears stung at his eyes as he laughed and wiggled, unable to break free._

" _Not on your life, gorgeous." Dean grinned maliciously._

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 2**

Sam sighed lightly, lying in his bed and staring at the ceiling like it held all the answers. College was just like he'd thought it'd be, hard work and studying and classes and no social life. That didn't make it fun or easy, but it was necessary. One year was finally over, a lot of blood sweat and tears later he was worn out. And at the same time it wasn't so bad; Gabriel had gotten into the same dorm as him so there was never a dull moment.

The reason he was looking for answers in the oddly tiled ceiling of his dorm? His summer break had come up, his exams now over as of that morning, whom should he go to see first? Or should he go to see anyone and just take summer courses? Four months off sounded nice but also sounded like  _too much time_  to spend slacking.

Gabriel would want to go and do something, more than anything he'd want to get out of the school. Maybe he could call Dean up and they could stay with him and Castiel, take up their guest room and spend the summer there. Or travelling, he could definitely ask Cas for some money and he and Gabe could go to Europe or something. Hell, Cas and Dean could probably even join them; it'd be like a double date but a whole vacation. Maybe a cabin on a lake? Get away from cities and people and spend some time camping.

Sam's contemplations were cut short when a much shorter but excitable man jumped onto his bed and dropped heavily over his middle. He wheezed as the air burst out of him, shoving Gabriel off his stomach and over to the side of the bed, "What's with the star gazing face?" Gabriel smirked, popping up in Sam's vision like a mosquito that just wouldn't let you sleep.

"I'm trying to figure out what to do with our summer," Sam smirked and rolled over, shoving Gabriel down into the bed and leaning over him, "How'd your last exam go?"

"Excellent," The cocky smile was more telling than the words he used, but the funny sounding accent Gabriel attempted to spice it up with only made Sam laugh.

"You're more of a dork than I remember."

"Says Sam Winchester. Kind of like the pot calling-"

Sam interrupted his boyfriend's babbling with a kiss, holding it longer until Gabriel hopefully had forgotten his words. "Shut up," he muttered after breaking away, his hair slipping past his ear and tickling Gabriel's nose.

"You need a hair cut." The smaller male sputtered, trying to brush the long locks away.

"You too," Sam grunted a chuckle as he pulled himself up and off the bed, heading to the bathroom.

"Pfft! Says the one that looks like modern Jesus! Sam of Nazareth! Jesus Winchester, son of John and the virgin Mary-"

"Stop!" Sam laughed from the other room, turning the sink on and leaning forward to wash his face. He let the water run for a bit longer, leaning over the counter and letting the streams drip down his cheeks, following the creases of his face to drip off his nose and chin. He remained that way for a few moments when he heard Gabriel cry out in what sounded like surprise but could easily be mistaken. Sam's head snapped up and when he saw the mirror again he saw  _himself_  standing behind him. Spinning around to see if it was real he'd lost his breath when he came face to face with another him, stumbling back against the counter and catching himself was all he could do.

"Hi," the other Sam tried to smile innocently, "Didn't uh… mean to freak you out there."

"SAM! SAM THEY FELL THROUGH THE CEILING AND WALL, SAM!" Gabriel shrieked, "WITCHES! THE LOT OF THEM!"

"Calm down," Sam heard Castiel's voice in the other room and what sounded like Jet laughing. "We're here on a mission."

"Burn the witch," Jet muttered through his snickering, earning himself some kind of a smack by the sound of it.

"What the hell is going on?" The university student managed to choke out, his other self glancing toward the other room fondly. "Who… What are you?"

"We're humans, just uh… one of us has some special abilities. We travel dimensions and realities."

Sam stared at his face, really stared. He knew his own lying expressions and from what he could tell this really wasn't one of them. "You're serious?"

"Yeah, can you explain some other way why there's a second you standing right here?"

Sassy too. They couldn't be all that different. "Well… no. I guess not… But this- you're impossible. This can't be happening for real."

"Get over it, kiddo, 'cause it is." Jet emerged in the doorway, though it wasn't the same Jet he knew. This one looked different, possibly even younger though maybe that was because of a different past.

"Where's your brother?" Castiel looked in and this one Sam knew could  _never_  be the same one. His voice was rough, his eyes were hardened and his posture was less than approachable.

"At work, probably." Sam swallowed anxiously, his survival instincts telling him to give them what they wanted, these strange men who appeared out of nowhere. But the protectiveness over his family warned him not to give them anything.

"Is he with Castiel?" This Cas asked without skipping a beat?

"Yeah," Gabriel answered next and Sam wished he could give him a smack in the arm. "They're together, wedding rings and all."

The other Sam smiled and glanced at the two he was travelling with, wanting to see their reactions to it. However his smile faded the moment he spotted how dismal Castiel had become over this news.

"Where do they live?"

"Why should we tell you?" Sam blurted out before Gabriel could say anything more. "What do you want with them?"

All three strangers rolled their eyes and exchanged a three-way glance before looking back at him. "To eat them." Jet said sarcastically and once again earning a hit to the shoulder for it.

"We need to speak with him." Castiel spoke earnestly and to the point.

"Why would dimension travellers find my brother and his family so important?"

"Because it's generally a pattern." The other Sam shrugged, "I don't know why but Dean and Cas are significant people each time and we always generally end up with one or both of them." He looked at the other two and huffed out a laugh, "For some reason there's three of us here now so that means Dean's got to be with one of them."

"My money's on him being with the Cas." Jet grinned, moving away from Castiel's next swing.

"So if they're the important ones, why are you here with us?" Gabriel asked and Sam knew he was wearing that scrutinizing face where he squinted both eyes and angled his head away for dramatic flare.

"Who are you, even?" Jet looked at Gabe with the same kind of flare.

"That's my boyfriend," Sam pushed past them from the bathroom and went to the other's side.

"Name's Gabriel, now answer my question."

Castiel smirked a little at him, like he kind of knew the guy from somewhere, and the way he was looking at the couple made both Sam's uncomfortable. "We're here with the two of you because Sam is related to Dean and is a significant person in his life. We seem to wind up with people who are most likely to meet up with each other."

"What is it that you do again?"

"Dimension travel, saving the world and stuff." Jet answered this time, making it sound like no big deal.

Sam and Gabriel looked at one another for a moment before the former decided to ask further questions. "From what?"

"Monsters, generally." Castiel left it at something a little simpler. "Now where are they? We're missing someone from our group and he'd end up there."

" _Monsters_?"

"Yes, now where's Dean?"

Sam could have not answered, left it at 'I'm not telling you' and possibly get into some really bad trouble, but he knew Dean. Dean would be undeniably pissed with him for taking a fall like that, for trying to deal with something like this without him.

"He lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles, it's a Hollywood thing."

Cas furrowed his brow and glanced out the window, "And… where are we?"

"Stanford University, it's a five hour drive to their place."

Jet grinned at his comrades for a moment before looking over at Sam and Gabriel, "I don't suppose you guys have a vehicle?"

"We do…" Gabriel eyed Jet's expression before lighting up with his own, "I don't suppose you're interested in a… road trip?"

"Let's do it!" Jet clapped his hands and headed for the door, Gabriel right on his heels.

The remaining three rolled their eyes and followed suit, knowing there really wasn't another way around this one.

* * *

"I'm in the de-details with the devil," Cas sung softly to himself, his fingers tapping his thigh lightly as they sat together, Dean glancing over at him every now and then.

"You like to sing, huh?"

"Damn right I do," Castiel smiled and looked up, "Songs, music, it helped me through a difficult time in my life. I just kept singing through it all, the music helped energize and empower me." His smile widened as he motioned toward a few photos on the wall, "I even made a career out of it. I'm only starting to get noticed out there but it's picking up."

Dean smiled a little but couldn't help the confusion that spread across his face. "You went through hard times?"

Cas snorted at the earnestness of Dean's question. "Doesn't everybody?"

"Well, yeah, I mean of course but… well all the Castiel's I've met so far have gone through something hard as well but none of them are as happy as you."

"How many other Castiel's have you met?"

Dean shrugged, "Good question, ten or more at least."

Castiel nodded quietly and stared at the wall for a second or two, "I can't imagine meeting that many Dean's… I mean it'd drive me crazy, you know? Because they'd all kind of look like my Dean but none of them would quite act right or know the right things. I don't think there's another Dean in existence that would treat me the exact same way, but that's probably not bad. I mean there are other Castiel's for them and they're probably all different too."

"They are, none of them are the same and yet they all have some things in common." Dean grinned in remembrance of the different occasions he'd already been part of, "I remember the first time I saw a Cas smile for real… I don't even really know if it was my Cas or a different one."

The grin that spread Castiel's lips only made Dean tilt his head in confusion. "Yours?" Cas asked simply.

"My what?"

"Your Cas? You're calling him yours already, I just find it sweet." He sighed lightly and leaned back on the couch, looking at an abstract art piece hanging on the wall. Dean looked at it too and from what he could tell it looked like a broken plate glued in place. It took the shape of a swan, though it was fairly abstract Dean could make that much out. The background was beautifully washed over with a rainbow of colours, the whole thing framed and put on display. "My Dean and I had a lot of rough patches we had to get through in order to be where we are. I never used to be this happy but all of that mess, that pain, it was worth it. Just to wake up and see him there beside me."

Dean looked at the surreal expression Cas wore, watching the way his eyes drifted and thought for a moment he'd misjudged this happy-go-lucky Castiel. Assuming he was so happy and carefree, that he'd gone through absolutely no pain, not like the others. But he was wrong, this Cas had done it, he had pushed through it all and came out on the other side. The other Castiel's got stuck somewhere along the way. "You really think the hurt was worth it?"

"Every second of it." Cas looked at him then and Dean could see the sunlight streaming in through the venetian blinds behind him, haloing his form in a soft glow that only seemed fitting for an angel. "Dean, judging by what you've told me, telling your Cas how you feel isn't going to be easy for you to say. But even if you manage to get the words out I'm not so sure he'll react cleanly, nothing's black and white and your situation sounds more grey than mine ever did." He reached forward and took Dean's hand in his, "That doesn't mean you give up after the first hurdle trips you, you're not sprinting this thing, Castiel is a marathon running and you're gonna have to get him at the finish line."

Part of Dean thought the metaphor was ridiculous but the rest of him nodded his agreement. He understood the implications, it wasn't going to be easy and he shouldn't give up just because it gets tough. That made sense. But was it ever so simply cut? "What if he never says yes?"

"I don't think that'll happen," The gentle way his voice washed through the room was calming, something about it sounded certain and Dean could really appreciate certainty at that point. "You've met several Castiel's and Dean's, were they all together?"

"Yeah… how'd you guess?"

"Because I've always believed that Dean and I were meant to be, and that in any lifetime we would have found each other."

Dean was about to respond when the front door swung open, "Cas!?" Dean, the one with a ring on his finger, bellowed into the house at the top of his lungs, demanding and frightened. And it was understandable, his fear, some stranger in his house with his husband could easily end in tears.

"I'm right in the living room, Dean." Cas called over, the nonchalant way he went about it made the priest chuckle. It was amusing the way he'd just brushed off his partner's extreme amounts of concern with the simple use of tone. And what was better none of it sounded sarcastic or insulting, just calmly informing him of the location.

"Are you alright-" The other Dean froze when he spotted himself, a second pair of footsteps following him until Jet appeared as well.

The other man blinked several times before finding the words to react, "Holy shit dude you weren't kidding." Jet muttered in surprise, staring at a doppelganger of his best friend.

Dean, the priest, smiled a little and gave a wave. This was the first Jet he'd met that wasn't tagging along with him; it was interesting to see an alternate version of the hotheaded jackass he'd known for years. "Yeah, hi I'm Dean."

"We can see that, thanks." Jet replied sarcastically, that scrutinizing look on his face. It made Dean laugh more than anything, he'd seen Jet use that face so many times on people he thought had made a stupid remark or asked a stupid question. It was not at all weird to see it used on him, Dean had said more than a few stupid things around Jet. " _How_  are you another Dean?"

"Dimension travelling, mostly." Dean did his best to keep a straight face while saying it; he'd already gotten better at explaining compared to the first time. It was odd, Cas had said not to if he didn't have to but it seemed every situation required it.

"He's insane." Jet turned and looked at Cas, "You're sitting in a room with a psychopath."

"He's really not crazy," Castiel smirked, "I believe him."

"Why?" His husband snapped protectively, "You don't know him-"

"But I  _do_." Cas stood and looked at his Dean disapprovingly, "I really do know him and everything he's done so far makes sense to me. Dean isn't lying, I don't know what's going on exactly but I know that he's not lying about this."

The two stared at one another, a silent exchange that only had Jet side step closer to the stranger and lean over, "Kind of weird to see from the other side of things, huh?"

"Yeah," Dean snickered, "Just a bit."


	22. Ugly Duckling: We Care About You

_Fragments of Memories_

_It was quiet, the park was empty and all Cas could do was chew on the inside of his cheek in thought. He'd been meaning to say something, anything that might ease the pain. Losing Sam had been hard on both of them and if it hadn't been for Cas' presence, he knew Dean wouldn't be there anymore either. But what could he say about it? What could he tell Dean that would make it hurt less? Only a few things came to mind. "I love you." He sighed into the wind and let it take his words wherever they wanted. It didn't even matter if Dean heard it, not really. But he had all the same._

" _I love you too." Dean reached over and took his hand, giving him a bit of a start. They'd barely spoken much in the last few weeks; all of their interactions had been quiet and short since Sam had passed. It was nice to hear Dean's voice again. "I'll always love you, Cas. I… I need to thank you."_

" _For what?" Cas smiled sweetly and looked up and could swear he saw a desperate wave of emotions crashing behind Dean's eyes._

" _For keeping me alive."_

* * *

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 3**

"Are we really still arguing about this?" Cas growled, refusing to back down this time. "Dean, he's not evil and he's not going to kill us. If he had wanted me dead I would be, okay?"

"I'm not letting us get involved in this crazy shit, alright? I'm already uncomfortable enough being so close to a huge city-"

"Oh this is about me doing the Hollywood thing? If you have such a problem with it just tell me!"

"That's not it, Cas. I said I'm uncomfortable with a big city, not with your career." Dean tried to back it up a bit and get the track to where it was, not wanting to argue about this again.

"Then you're afraid of something big happening to us, I understand that but we can't just ignore this! We're not kicking him out and that's final." Cas squared his shoulders, his voice taking on that commanding tone that both Dean's shuddered at.

Dean opened his mouth to argue when his phone rang and interrupted. The lovers stared at one another until he yielded and answered, "Hello, Dean speaking."

" _Hey Dean, it's Sam."_

"Sammy! I'm glad to hear from you," He relaxed a bit and turned away toward the kitchen, fully trusting Jet in the room with the stranger and his husband. "How's college?"

" _It's pretty good, finished my finals this morning. Anyway, something's up and I kinda need your help."_

"What's going on?" The way his posture and tone changed so suddenly made the priest smile, caring for Sam was such a strong impulse and universal among all Dean's.

" _These three people appeared in our dorm and said some crazy stuff. They wanted to know where you lived so I'm taking them there. We've kinda been travelling for an hour or so and it'll be another four before we get to your place. Just wanted to warn you ahead of time."_

"Who are they? Are they forcing you to take them? Are you hurt?"

" _No, Dean. I'm fine. Gabriel and I offered to take them-"_

"Why would you do that Sam? You don't even know these people!" It seemed like Dean's only argument at that moment, and as legitimate as it sounded, neither his husband nor little brother took it as the right answer.

" _Dean, it's okay. This is gonna sound weird, but I do know them."_

"You know these…" Dean paused for a second and looked over at his other self perched on the couch next to his significant other. "Sam… are they duplicates?"

The silence on the other end dragged out for several moments before Sam replied,  _"Yeah… how'd you know?"_

"I got one too, looks like me." Dean sighed and ran his hand down his face, "What do they say they do?"

" _Dimension travel, save the world stuff."_

"So it's not just this one… What the hell is going on?"

The other Dean lit up for a second then grew extremely pale, "My friends are with your brother? A Cas too?"

"Sam is there a Cas with you?"

" _Yeah, and Jet and another me. It's really weird actually."_

"Tell me about it. All right, drive safe and keep me posted. Don't you dare let me sit here for the next five hours waiting to see if you're still alive." He instructed and rolled his eyes as Cas was certain Sam did on the other end.

" _Okay, Dean. I'll see you later."_

And just like that the phone call was over. Dean looked over at the priest's wide eyes and drained face, a smirk coming over his own. "What's the matter?" He'd seen that face before, back in his graduating year of high school when Castiel had come home. The moment he'd seen Cas at that convenience store it had been stone, his heart leapt in his chest and after that all he could think of was Castiel. But he had been terrified, for the things he'd done, the things he hadn't, and the things he'd have to say next. "It's Cas, isn't it?" He asked with a smirk.

His counterpart nodded and looked away, "You can tell too, huh?"

"I'm telling you, it's Cas. That baby is dynamite, doesn't matter what dimension he's from."

Castiel blushed lightly and turned his head away, he couldn't stop the smile that had encroached on his lips. "Dean, you're a terrible flirt."

Dean went behind his husband and wrapped his arms around Cas' slender frame, kissing down his neck playfully. "I know," he breathed into Castiel's ear and felt every little goosebump that beaded up the other man's skin. "I'm sorry for arguing with you."

"You're just scared, I know." Cas gasped and turned his head to return the kisses. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Would you guys stop?" Dean fidgeted with his coat again, something about being able to stick his hand into an infinite space repeatedly felt soothing. "I feel like I'm going to lose my lunch over here."

"I hope that's not because we're together and more because you're worried about seeing your Cas." Castiel said playfully though there was an undertone, more of a threat lurking if Dean were upset with seeing homosexuality so open.

"Well… yeah, I mean when he gets here I don't know what I should say to him." Dean sighed and ran his hand down his face, "I don't think he knows I know about his past husband so should I start with that or should I not bring that up at all? Do I just say 'hey I like you'?"

"Do it when it feels right," The other Dean replied matter-of-factly, as if his counterpart were an idiot. "Don't just spring that stuff on him, it can be a little rattling and make situations awkward. Also get him alone, don't do it in front of other people unless he's a really public kind of guy."

"He isn't."

"Thought not."

"Well let's eat something while we wait," Cas strolled toward the kitchen, the sway in his hips a little more amplified because he knew there were at least two sets of eyes drawn to it. "Sandwiches sound okay?"

"As long as there's meat involved." Both Dean muttered in reply, glancing at each other with a bit of a laugh.

"Of course." Cas rolled his eyes and went straight to the bread bag.

* * *

It was a tight fit, to say the least. The group of five travelled in Sam and Gabriel's car without much of a problem other than the special issue. They'd done a bit of measuring for both Sam's, figuring out that the dimension travelling one was slightly smaller and therefore one of the ones crammed in the back, along with Castiel and Gabriel. Jet and the other Sam sat comfortably up front, trying not to gloat about it. Smallest people go in the back, that only made sense if there were three bodies that needed to be smushed into the same space.

Castiel and Gabriel were insistent on taking window seats and Sam wasn't about to argue, even though he would have preferred not to sit on the highest point in the backseat. Longer legs means more trouble fitting into little spaces, and wouldn't you know his legs weren't exactly considered short. Sam adjusted himself subtly every now and then as he glanced out the windows and over at the other passengers. There wasn't a lot of conversation happening and he wasn't entirely sure he should start any on a five-hour road trip.

His eyes drifted over to Gabriel after a few moments of boredom taking over. He'd never met a 'Gabriel' before but in this world his other self was in a relationship with one. He kind of wanted to know why, what made Gabriel dateable, what made him attractive to the other Sam? Part of him wanted to ask the questions but the socially aware part informed the rest of him that it just wouldn't look right. Plus the other Sam was present in the car, would be sort of awkward.

Of course, Gabriel didn't have the same social graces as Sam and, after fiddling in his seat with the same bored feeling, he turned and looked up at his not-boyfriend Sam with a smile. "So, do you know a different me?"

"Actually no, in the several worlds we've visited I've never met you before." Sam smiled back, still trying to figure it out without asking.

"I have." Castiel sighed heavily, his forehead resting against the glass of his window. He rolled his head to look at them and nearly made Sam laugh with the disapproving expression he wore. "Annoying is the only word I've got for him."

"What!?" Gabriel feigned offended for a few seconds, "What makes me annoying?"

"I didn't say you specifically but you have similar traits, so I suppose it's close enough." Cas looked back out the window at the landscape drifting by. "He was always in my face but that's not what bugged me. He was selfish, he didn't consider anyone other than himself when he made choices and the last time I saw him was before this all started."

Sam's face tightened a little as he realized Castiel had just let him hear a little something about his past. It was rare and Sam would take whatever he could get, eventually he'd put the puzzle together.

"Before what started?" Gabriel leaned over and was promptly pushed back by Sam.

"Before the dimension travel," Sam explained in Cas' place, knowing that much at least.

"What did I- er… he do?"

"He was in a relationship with a close friend of mine and went on a trip, alone. He knew that my friend was a little sick but he went anyway, it was a trip they would have gone on together had the illness not been so bad." Cas' face was turned away as he spoke but Sam didn't need to see it to know what kind of expression he was making. The low growl in his voice said enough without his facial features added to it. "He never came back, either. I thought maybe I'd have to explain to him how his boyfriend had passed away while he was gone but I never did. Gabriel never came back."

Jet glanced at the backseat and looked at Sam, each sharing the same tense look as they realized Castiel wasn't a fan of Gabriel.

"That doesn't sound like him," Sam, the driver, spoke up next. "I don't know what kind of reality you lived in, but from the little bit that I've seen, the doubles of people aren't all that different." He looked up into the rearview mirror to see himself, recognizing every little change in expression and knowing what it meant, knowing he'd probably make the same ones. "Sam and I are the same, but we were brought up differently. This Jet is the same as the one that I know, but again, he was raised differently. We're  _the same_  people, and I know for a fact that Gabriel would never just leave."

Cas was quiet and nodded. "I'm aware… But it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't think. The trip he went on was to find something to save Sa-" he paused and corrected himself, "-to save my friend. He insisted that he'd be back with a cure, never once thinking that maybe his boyfriend would just rather him be there with him instead of off on some wild goose chase." He clenched his fists, jaw tightening and teeth pressing together, "I told him not to go." He snarled softly, "I  _told_  him it wouldn't do any good with him gone, but he didn't listen."

"Well… that does kind of sound like me." Gabriel admitted after the car had fallen silent, knowing full well that he'd see his Sam snap his head back to look at him. "But you should listen to the reasoning before you get mad. If Sam were sick and possibly dying, and I thought I knew where the cure was or that I could find it, I'd go."

"Your presence could be uplifting to his mentality and possibly save his life, you'd still leave him?" Castiel's smoldering anger flared to life again as he turned on Gabriel.

"But my presence isn't a sure thing, right? I mean, I'm there and watching him die or not there and trying to save his life, it looks like it's pretty obvious what I should do. Because both are a gamble and I can see the merit to each one, but in the end I'll take the risk to save his life. If he dies anyway at least he knows I'm still looking to save him."

"But he didn't! He thought you'd left him, ran away because he was sick! Do you understand? He died thinking you didn't love him!" Castiel's voice had risen; his face in a torrent of rage, and every word sounded like it cut him just as much as it was meant to cut Gabriel.

"Cas," Sam tried to hush him, his mind drawing connections just from the way Castiel had spoken. The meaning of his words had changed, it was no longer hypothetical 'if it were Sam' because to Cas it  _was_  Sam, and that had only become more clear the moment Castiel looked at him. The anger fled his body language, hate draining from his eyes to leave a sorrowful look in its wake, all because he looked at Sam. "This Sam isn't dead." He tried to say evenly, in a way that wouldn't do any damage, but it brought a shock to Castiel's system.

"Stop the car." Cas turned away, his hand shaking as it clicked the seatbelt free.

Sam furrowed his brow, glancing up at the mirror again to try and see Castiel's face though he couldn't. "We're going to see my brother-"

" _ **Please!**_ "

The desperation of Cas' voice hit home and Sam pulled over, barely stopping before Castiel scrambled out the door. "Cas!"

Castiel stumbled along the shoulder before tripping up and hitting his knees. He never thought he'd have to see Gabriel again, even if it weren't the same one. It opened old wounds and it made him want to scream.

"Cas," Sam's voice was soft as he approached, Castiel thinking briefly on which one it was but he recognized the gentle nature of it, it was the Sam travelling with him that had gone to his side the quickest. "Cas, it's okay. Whatever happened before is done now, alright? You don't have to go through it anymore." Sam whispered as he wrapped his arms around Castiel's shoulders, squeezing him in a hug. "It's over."

Cas' lower lip quivered and he rested his head against Sam's shoulder, trembling hands reached up to return the affection. They remained that way for several minutes, Jet having wandered to their sides and kneeling down next to them.

"You know something?" He started saying after a second or two, both of his travelling companions looking up at the sound of his voice. "Cas, I never really thought you cared before, and maybe that's why I didn't see you fighting with your own problems. But I want you know that you aren't alone here anymore."

Sam smiled and looked down at Castiel who had to wipe his eyes quickly, head nodding with no words to follow.

"If the old scars hurt, let us know okay? We won't just let you blow yourself apart like this, you know why?" Jet nudged Cas' shoulder gently, a grin on his face.

Cas looked at him again and shook his head, he didn't know why.

"Because we care about you, dumbass. It hasn't been that long that we've all been together but we care. So don't insult us, take care of yourself."

Castiel curled his bottom lip in; trying to stop himself from feeling anything but he couldn't help the light sob that shook him. He covered his mouth as Sam hugged him tighter, this time Jet joining in and squeezing them both.

Sam wouldn't have thought he'd see Castiel crack like that, and to know it was over a Sam of all people. He'd managed to put more puzzle pieces together; Cas' close friend was Sam. This Sam had gotten sick and from the way Cas was acting, he'd have to guess it wasn't all that drawn out. It was sudden and had clearly left deeper scars; they didn't have time to cope with it.

He made a mental note to inform Dean later, it was something he felt Dean should know.

Gabriel looked over at his boyfriend and mouthed 'What the fuck', to which he received a shrug. "Don't make fun Gabriel, something bad obviously happened."

"I guess dead Sam's aren't a thing to make fun of, huh?" Gabriel shrugged and looked back at the car.

"You  _guess_?" Sam jabbed him in the side with a soft laugh.

"Let's get moving." Castiel spoke up again, his composure back and there to stay. "I'm sorry about that."

Gabriel smiled and waved it off, "No worries, we've been through worse."

Cas smiled subtly before going back to the car, he didn't say anything out loud but he wouldn't want to lose that moment for anything. He quietly climbed into the backseat and moved into the middle, silently giving Sam the spot with more room.


	23. Ugly Duckling: Cas' Family

_Fragments of Memories_

_Castiel sighed as he closed the door to his new home. He'd just moved his boxes of stuff to the main floor, had unpacked enough to make the place look like a tornado had passed by, and now he was leaving because he was starving and there was nothing inside. He was a little glad for the location, there was only one other house nearby and it was quiet, peaceful, but most importantly private._

_However when he was this hungry and he knew he needed to carry a ton of groceries back, the walk to town might just be the biggest pain in the ass. Regardless, Castiel started down the drive way, if he wanted to eat he couldn't sit around waiting._

_As he reached the road he saw a dark car roaring closer, it was headed his way and he figured it'd pass but it didn't. Instead it stopped just ahead of him and a young man called out to him, "You're the new neighbor, right? My brother said it'd be nice to bring you a fruit basket, name's Dean Winchester."_

* * *

**The Ugly Duckling World: Part 4**

When the front door opened, Castiel, Jet, and both Dean's flinched, all eyes turning toward the new flood of people incoming. Dean, the husband, grinned widely and went to his brother for a hug. He knew which one was his, though Gabriel hanging off him didn't hurt the chances of not screwing up. "Sammy, how you doing?"

"I'm good, Dean." Sam smiled and squeezed back, resting his head for a few moments.

The other pair of brothers did the same though they had seen one another much more recently so it was a quick pat on the back and shoulder. Dean had pulled away and hadn't wanted to look to Castiel yet so he clasped hands with his Jet and they pulled each other into a quick 'manly' hug that ended with a somewhat painful hit the back. "How was the trip?"

"Long," Sam sighed and stretched his arms above his head, "And a bit cramped."

Dean smirked, "You've got too much limb going on, that's way."

"I'm not  _that_  much taller than you." Sam jibed back.

"Hello Dean." Castiel spoke next, interrupting the brotherly exchange and finally catching Dean's eye. On the trip in Cas had gotten quieter after the outburst but that didn't stop his memories or thoughts. They'd continued to boil in his head and with a long, silent drive there was a lot of time to think over all of it. Nothing mind numbing to distract him, just an open road and all the reminders in the world that he'd lost his family.

Dean planned to look for a quick second, finding it hard to get himself to gather the courage. But he stopped and stared at the redness of Castiel's eyes and the stressed, pained expression that he wasn't hiding as well as he normally would. "Cas?" The concern out weighed the rest of it, pushed down his fears of speaking up and stamped them out. "Hey, what happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Castiel inhaled sharply and moved to look around the house, passing by his other self who just couldn't let him go without getting a look at him.

"Sweetheart, you're not fine." He said soothingly as he pulled the other Castiel closer, "Let's go upstairs." It was softly spoken, their eyes meeting briefly before the priest had to turn his head away.

"Alright."

And just like that the Castiel's escaped the room. No one attempted to stop them though they'd noticed. Well, most of them. The two Jet's stared at one another with a strange expression as they tried to decide whether or not they liked this very much.

"Okay," Cas closed the door to his and Dean's bedroom, letting his priest-self sit on the bed to relax a little bit. He went and sat down next to the other, reaching over and holding hands carefully. "What's going on?"

Castiel shook his head and took in a shaky breath, "I said I'm fine."

"You don't think I can tell when my face is on the verge of tears? I saw your lips quiver, I can see how wet your eyes are, and I can see you've already cried which means the rest of the tears aren't far off." He rubbed their hands together quietly, letting his words sink in and the quiet calm fill the room. "You looked a little stronger when you walked in, but that didn't last. Is it because of him?"

The priest scoffed bitterly and shook his head, "Not at all-"

"You're lying to me."

Castiel bit his lip, trying to keep his face straight but it tensed and pulled until a sob struggled out of him. "Yes, okay?" He looked at the softhearted counterpart through fresh tears, "He-he hugs and greets them and I'm still just…" He dropped his head into his hands to wipe the shame from his face though it still poured down; he'd broken part of the dam. "You don't know what it's like! To lose him forever, thinking you'll be alone until you're put with a second priest as a partner and it's… It's  _him_."

Rubbing small circles in the other's back, Cas listened and did his best to understand. He remembered what Dean had said and how he'd understood it then; that there were many other versions of Castiel and Dean and each one had a certain partner meant for them. This Castiel had lost his Dean, sure he'd met another one but it wouldn't be exactly the same. It's like meeting a new person with the same face. "Honestly, sweetie, I don't know how you do it." He whispered softly, continuing the soothing circles mindlessly. "But you are, you  _are_  doing it. And you're doing so well. I don't think I need to tell you what Dean is like, you already know, possibly more than I do with most things. But you need to be reminded I think," he tilted the other Castiel's head up so they were looking at one another, "Don't be hurt by his awkwardness, he's not good at showing it but Dean cares about you. He just never knows how to say it at first."

The priest sniffled and wiped his face dry with a soft laugh, "I think I know what you mean… But he's not mine to understand."

"But he  _is_  yours. Don't you get it? Your first lover was a Dean, yes, but this Dean has never had or met a Castiel before.  _You are his Castiel_." Cas insisted, moving to kneel on the floor in front of the other and holding his hands firmly. "There are so many different versions of us around, right? You've met two Dean's with no Castiel's, how do you know which one was meant to be yours? I only see one Dean wearing a matching outfit and travelling with you.  _This_  is who you are meant to be,  _this_  Dean is who you are meant for!"

Castiel watched the excitement dance across his counterpart's face, felt the energy between them and even let himself believe it, if only for a moment. "I'd… I'd have to think about that."

"Take your time, you'll find out I'm right." Cas winked at him and rose from the floor. "How about you take a shower and relax? I'll get some clothes for you."

"Thank you," Castiel sighed lightly and closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking up again, "I appreciate all you're doing for me, you really have no reason to care whether or not I'm happy."

"It's no problem at all." Cas grinned and helped the other up and out to the luxurious bathroom.

* * *

"They're taking a while." Jet muttered, no one really cared which Jet had spoken either because they seemed too similar to really try and tell them apart. Everyone had settled in the living room

"Yeah," Dean muttered, feeling like a total and complete shit head for everything. He couldn't figure out why he hadn't bothered to say hello, it wasn't like Castiel knew what was going on in his head. As far as Cas' vantage point went, Dean was normal for a while and now suddenly he's distant and cold and neglectful of his own partner. It wasn't okay, Dean knew that. He knew that being awkward around Castiel wasn't a good idea, especially if Cas was already sore about having to spend time with Dean in the first place. He couldn't imagine having to live with an alternate reality version of someone he loved more than anything, just to watch their habits be the same and know that they'll never love him again. Having to live with that feeling every day and then suddenly watch them drift away and treat him like an outcast? Dean knew he must have dim-wittedly torn Castiel's heart out.

"Hey Dean?" Sam spoke up and Dean had to double check his memory on what his little brother had been wearing to know which Sam was talking to him. It was his brother, not that it really mattered though.

"What's up Sammy?"

"Can I tell you something?" Sam motioned toward the door so they could get a little privacy. Dean would have been lying if he'd said Sam's tone didn't concern him, Sam only took on that voice when he had something serious to say and often it was because Dean was in trouble.

Regardless they stepped out and wandered a little ways away from the house for good measure. "Dean, on our trip in something happened…" Sam trailed off and nipped at his lower lip as he tried to decide what to say.

"Like what? Did you guys bump into a monster out there without me?" Dean tilted his head to get back into Sam's line of sight, the younger male getting the hint and looking directly into his brother's face for the next part.

"No, it was Cas. He... he had some kind of a break down. That other guy, Gabriel, he's the other Sam's boyfriend and Cas just wouldn't stop glaring at him."

Dean furrowed his brow, having to deal with the idea that his little brother in another world had a boyfriend on top of the thought of Castiel breaking down. "What do you mean exactly? What did Cas do?"

"Well after a bit of a fight that started from I don't even remember what, Cas basically disapproving of the other Sam being with Gabriel, he just snapped. He was saying how he knew a Gabriel, before the time he became a priest, when he was living a normal life. The Gabriel he knew had been in a relationship with a 'close friend', that friend apparently had gotten really sick and the Gabriel left him to die alone, essentially." Sam fumbled through the story trying to figure out a good way to tell it, ignoring the way Dean's face scrunched every now and then. "The way Cas was saying it, at one point he almost said the name of his friend but stopped himself, I swear he was going to say Sam. And when this Gabriel said he'd probably go out and try to find a cure if his boyfriend were dying, Cas only got worse. Like a trigger, he blew out, spilling a mass amount of emotion over the topic that was no longer hypothetical. I tried to remind him that this was a different couple than the one he was thinking of and he just…"

Dean shook his head, getting the idea of what Sam was trying to say. "Cas… Cas once said he had a husband that had tried to kill him, that his last name is Winchester and… the other day I was remembering a nightmare I'd had about strangling him. Cas told me that since it happened when we met it was our bond as partners and high priests, that I was seeing his past somehow. I can't really explain how I know this, Sam, but at the time I'd thought you were possibly the husband he was talking about, you know? He was always so nice to you and hated me, I figured that his husband was someone he'd be nice to…"

"But his husband tried to kill him, so…" Sam continued Dean's thought process, his eyes narrowing as they both looked away. "And on top of that, if the 'close friend' that died tragically was a Sam then of course he'd be nice to me… I mean think about it, how has he looked at me? It's not with lust it's just-"

"Love." Dean nodded, "Cas just plainly loves you. And why wouldn't he be cruel to someone he remembers trying to kill him? Sam, Cas' husband was a Dean. We were his family at one point."

"Not us," Sam reminded him which only made Dean's expression sink. "Cas' family is gone, Dean. I think he's having a hard time warming up to us because we look like them but aren't them. We aren't Castiel's family, we could never be what they were."

"We could never be what they were…" Dean frowned; remembering the other Castiel's words again, about how no other Dean in the world could love him the same way. "Goddamn it Sam… We-" He looked around as if to find some easier way to speak was as simple as staring at a tree, "We might not be his  _first_  family," he poked a finger against Sam's chest, feeling the anger and rage boil in his chest, "But that doesn't mean we aren't, understand? We are just as much his as he is ours. Cas is our family now."

With that Dean stormed inside. He needed to talk to Cas, to get this out of his head, to get the information out and to let Castiel know what was going on in their little group. That he wasn't alone, that his family wasn't gone forever, that what happened before didn't change the present. Sam smiled a little, rubbing his chest where Dean's finger had prodded him, glad he could light a little fire under his butt.

* * *

After a getting the bathroom set up for his counterpart, Cas trotted down the stairs to see to everyone else. He wasn't sure what was going on, not really, but it was a fun excuse to play housewife for a bit. That didn't mean he wanted to sit around the house waiting for Dean to come home every day, but it was just fun to play. As he slipped down the stairs one of the Dean's was trying to get up, they paused in the middle and looked at one another, quickly to check to see which Castiel and which Dean had just bumped into one another.

Cas smiled at the dark overcoat, knowing by the face alone that this wasn't he his Dean but it was nice to get a little bit of proof to tell himself he was right. It was a nice feeling to know you could tell your lover apart if you were that close to their body double. "Where are you going?"

"Where's Cas?"

"I'm right here."

" _My_  Cas, where's my Castiel?" Dean insisted, his face strained with what looked like thoughts he'd been holding on to for too long already. It was a short little phrase but it still made Cas smile, he could tell which Dean was his and now this Dean was showing signs of being able to do the same. He was definitely evolving on that 'I'm not sure I like him-I really like him' train.

"You planning on talking to him now? I think he needs some time-"

"Where is he?" Dean interrupted, not letting Cas get any other information off.

"Bathroom, he's going to-" Cas stuttered out as Dean booked it past him, no longer listening as he finished his sentence, "-take a shower." He shrugged and continued down to the main floor, they could handle themselves without interference.

"Cas?" Dean went to the bathroom door and tried the handle, finding it locked. "Cas, I need to talk to you."

Castiel, after just stepping out of the last of his clothing, paused with his hand on the shower knob. "Can it wait, Dean?" He was tired, exhausted emotionally, mentally, and physically and he wasn't sure he could keep everything to himself with Dean at that moment.

"No, it's something I need to tell you." His voice was so tense, Castiel wanted to ask if something had happened but he didn't really want to talk to Dean right then. What with the lack of greeting and everything, he thought they were fighting or something.

So as much as he wanted to just give in and listen, the sting of being neglected still hurt enough to swell his pride. Cas instead turned the water on, "Not now."

Dean frowned and reached back into his coat for his weapon, forming it into a tool to help him pick the lock. There was something in his head that refused to let that be the answer, something that knew Castiel was hurting and wanted to put an end to it immediately. For some reason he hadn't considered the fact that he'd heard the sound of running water, that Castiel may in fact just be taking a shower and not trying to ignore him. Dean was too preoccupied with the best of intentions.

The door swung open and Dean stalked inside, closing it behind him. He looked up through the steam at a surprised expression, his partner stepping back a little to hide behind the curtain hung there.

"Dean! What are you doing?" Cas started to protest and grab for the shower curtain to cover himself better but Dean wouldn't have any of it. Before he knew it he was pushed back against the cold tiled wall, the chill shooting through his back and bringing a shiver to the rest of his body. Dean was holding him there, hands on Castiel's biceps and pressing him against the wall as the water poured over both of them. "Dean?" Cas managed a soft question in the name, his gaze tilting up to see what kind of insanity had brought Dean to him this time.

"Cas, listen to me." Dean seemed entirely unaware of the shower, the water soaking his head and clothes, dripping down Castiel's skin to where hands held him in place, he didn't seem to notice any of it. "I know who you were married to," Dean could see the pain well up in Castiel's face, how everything tried to harden itself against the possibilities of the conversation, especially Cas' heart. "Sam figured out your close friend was your brother-in-law and who he was." He swallowed nervously, starting to lose a bit of his edge, "Cas, I just need to tell you that we know, and-"

"You don't know a damn thing." Castiel snarled, his voice cracking and the hurt slipping through. His eyes were steeled against Dean, angry, sharp, and cold. He tried to push Dean back but the other man refused to budge. Cas looked surprised then and suddenly much more vulnerable, "Dean, leave."

"No, Cas. You think you're all alone and you miss them, you don't see us you see ghosts of people you knew." Dean struggled to hold Castiel in place as the other priest pushed back and tried to pull away. Long, pale arms flailed out and grasped at things to help him use as a brace more than the slick floor of a porcelain tub, hands balled into fists when he couldn't reach. "Cas-"

"Let me go!" Castiel shouted, "You don't know anything, you don't understand!" He started hitting and smacking at Dean as his partner pulled him from anything he could grab ahold of.

"No I don't! But that doesn't mean I don't care!" Dean held Castiel perfectly still, their noses touched and Cas opened his eyes to see how close their faces were. "Cas, as much as you want to distance yourself from it, we're your family now." His words were so softly spoken that Cas wasn't even sure he'd heard them, and yet they were in his mind moving along with everything his other self had said earlier.

" _You are his Castiel."_

Cas let himself stare into the green eyes in front of him, finally letting himself relax for a moment to just look. How he could recognize the gaze like it had happened to him once before, eyes widening as he slowly recognized what it was. He'd seen this look in his husband as they'd come to know each other; he would never forget the look of a man falling love because he'd also seen it in himself. "Dean…" Cas whispered as he tried to turn away but found he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Please, let us be your family. Let… let me." The way he'd said it was so sincere and Castiel felt the pain thunder in his chest, tears rushing to his eyes and refusing to be wiped away so easily.

"Dean" this time it came out in a sob but Cas didn't try to pull away anymore. He pushed forward and wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders and held tight, burying his face in the crook of Dean's neck.

Dean sighed his relief and cradled Castiel against him, his hands grazing the bare skin of his partner's torso giving him the first impression that Castiel had been entirely naked during their exchange. He glanced over at the running water coming from the showerhead and realized what he'd done, busting in on the other man in a very vulnerable situation. Dean felt his cheeks burning the more he began to notice that Castiel's naked and wet body was pressed against him.  _'He's crying and needs you, how about we think about it later?'_  He reminded himself and, surprisingly, the scolding tone of his thoughts was enough to get his mind away from the gutter.

"Thank you," Cas finally sighed, "I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Dean smiled and rested his head against Cas'.

Castiel in turn laughed softly and nuzzled Dean's cheek, "Then I'll leave it at thank you."

"Deal."


	24. Ugly Duckling: What're We Fighting?

_Fragments of Memories_

_Cas leaned back on the couch and rolled his head around to try and pop a few twisted muscles back into place. He'd been sitting hunched forward reading a book for far too long and it was starting to really strain his neck. He opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling for a moment, wondering when the last time was that he'd gotten a crick in his neck like this. Since before going out with Dean, probably. However they hadn't exactly been seeing eye to eye lately, there had been so much fighting and now they weren't really speaking much._

_A few moments passed as he thought he might have to consider the idea of leaving Dean. It hurt to even imagine and he couldn't even try to picture how lonely he'd be. But then again, with the way they were acting around one another, what would be the difference?_

_As his mind drifted along those lines he felt a strong set of hands on his shoulders, they were gently rubbing out the soreness and Cas couldn't do anything but melt into them. "I'm sorry." He heard Dean whisper so he smiled up at his lover._

" _Yeah, me too." Cas arched up as Dean leaned down, their lips meeting in a slow and passionate display. Castiel ran a hand up through Dean's hair and just before his boyfriend was about to reciprocate they heard the familiar violent coughing from upstairs. Both stopped to listen, wondering if it'd slow down at any point like it sometimes did. They weren't so lucky, the hacking continued and started to sound more painful than before._

" _I'll get the medicine." Cas spoke softly as he stood up from the couch, "He must've just woken up."_

* * *

**The Ugly Duckling World: Part 5**

The evening was quiet; everyone ate and conversed though there wasn't a lot to discuss. Mostly this was because Castiel, the priest, had gone straight to bed after his shower. He was the most knowledgeable on what kind of void monster they'd be facing and without his insight the others had no idea what they were looking for. Sam glanced at his brother with slight annoyance, "I wish he had some kind of a book on these things, I'd be able to identify stuff with that."

"Well there is no book and I doubt Cas has had any time to try and write one." Dean smirked and ruffled Sam's hair affectionately.

"How's he doing, by the way?" Jet raised an eyebrow before sipping at the coffee the other Castiel had served them.

"Cas? He's tired." Dean shrugged, looking down at his cup thoughtfully. "I don't blame him, let's just give him some time."

Sam nodded, "Well regardless there's still some kind of threat here, right? We should listen to the news or something, see what's up."

"Ask and you shall receive," Cas smiled as he set a radio down, "The TV's in the other room and we have computers for Internet access, anything else?"

"That's perfect, thank you." Sam smiled up at him, turning the radio on and switching through the stations.

"So..." The other Sam sat down at the table with them, looking at them curiously as he decided what words to use, "When you say there's a threat, what kind of threat are we talking here?"

"There's a number of different types of monsters in the void between worlds," Dean explained, finding it more comfortable being the one to do so more and more. "The three of us haven't seen that many, just a few different ones, but Cas knows them all. I can tell you about raptoribus, aer, demoni, but that's about it. From what I can tell you'd know if you had a raptoribus running around so that's off the menu."

"And there'd be some kind of black cloud roaming around if it were an aer." Jet added, "It'd target someone, probably one of you guys since that seems to be the norm these days."

"And the demoni?" Sam furrowed his brow, still trying to figure out if these people were insane or not.

"I don't really know exactly," Dean shook his head, "I know if it's a powerful one the town will have been half falling apart, the roads would be caving in, and there'd be a physical monster running around. And if it's strong enough to possess someone I know how to tell after it's close to waking up. Has anything weird happened in town?"

"Nope, aside from you guys." Cas sat down and swirled a tea bag around in his mug, ever since spending time in England he'd taken a liking to tea rather than coffee. Dean had called him girly for it though Balthazar's smack to his head corrected him somewhat. "So what if it's a new kind of thing? Do you know how to fight it if it shows up? And what if it wasn't here but where Sam and Gabriel lived?"

"Not likely," Sam looked up from playing with the radio, "It seems to be that if there are a Dean and Cas in the world then they're the ones that get focused on. Not sure why."

"We're special." Cas winked at him, though he'd be lying if that didn't scare him a little bit. He fidgeted a little as the conversation played out, his mind starting to drift from it. Dean had decidedly gone to bed as well, it wasn't super early but it wasn't very late either. Cas would have guessed that he was just exhausted from working or he was just tired of all the crazy. Regardless he'd left the hosting to Cas and now it was starting to get to him. If they were in danger then he wanted to be near Dean. His throat felt dry the longer he waited until finally he stood up from his spot and smiled at the others, "I think I need to lie down. If you need anything, I'll-"

"We'll help," Gabriel piped in, "You go to bed Cas."

"Thanks Gabe," Cas chastely pecked his cheek before waving goodnight to the new comers and hurrying up the stairs.

Eventually the place died down and after the travellers discovered there was nothing strange happening at all in the city or nearby places, they found places to sleep as well. Dean lay on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. He'd taken so many big steps toward Cas; their relationship had been re-evaluated but only to the level of family. Dean hadn't had the courage to outwardly say 'I like you', though judging by how stressed out Castiel was maybe it was better that he wait on that one.

As exhaustion swept in and his eyes lids felt heavy, Dean started to drift to sleep, his mind wading in and out of consciousness with just the image of Castiel's face to dream of. He smiled to himself, imagining that smile spread soft lips, just for him. Castiel would smile for him, laugh just for him, and have eyes only for him. It was a pipe dream, he thought for sure it was, but that didn't stop him from hoping for it. Battle worn hands softened, gentle and caring in their touch. Dean sighed the more he dreamt, he just wanted to hold him. All he wanted was that moment in the shower again, Castiel clinging to him like he was everything, like he'd make a difference somehow.

Peaceful and quiet until there was a low moan as the house seemed to creak under the pressure of some unseen force. Dean stirred on his makeshift bed, eyes twitching before his lids pulled up to look around. The room was still dark, he couldn't see anything and he couldn't hear anything. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him, though there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind so he stood and went to the guest room that Castiel had been resting in.

Dean heard the groan of the house a second time as he strode down the hall, the light of the moon catching objects and creating shadows through the window that were enough to put Dean on edge. It was just a stupid shadow but it still made him anxious. He told himself over and over it was probably nothing but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening. Dean knocked lightly on the door as he slowly opened Castiel's bedroom, expecting to see his partner fast asleep on the bed. Instead he opened it to a wide-eyed and pale face.

Castiel was sitting upright and very stiff, his arms tight to his sides and head angled straight ahead. He slowly turned it to look at Dean who was entirely awestruck and slightly terrified. "Dean," his voice was a rough whisper, haggard and frightened.

"Cas? What's going on?" Dean moved into the bedroom but again froze when he saw a shadowy figure in the corner of the room. "What is that!?" He fumbled, reaching back into his coat to grab his weapon.

Castiel's jaw trembled, his eyes shifting over to his jacket that lay discarded on the floor a few feet away then back to the figure that slowly shifted in and out of an actual shape. "Domus." He rasped in reply, knowing he'd never reach his weapon in time.

Before Dean could respond or ask any questions the room shook and tore itself apart, the shadow gone and in its place a dark and seemingly empty space remained. For a second everything fell into a limbo, calm, quiet, and what was left in the room was floating. Dean turned his head to see that Castiel wasn't immune to it, his slender runner's body drifting in the same space as everything else. It was all happening so fast, Dean couldn't find it in himself to use the weapon but he had the mind to grab hold of Castiel's reaching hand.

In a flash they were moving again, sucked directly into the vortex left by the figure and in that time Dean felt like he'd gone deaf. He could see Castiel's face, scrunched up and scared, mouth open as if he were screaming but no noise came out. They were in a vacuum, must have been, he refused to believe he'd lost his hearing. Really though he should at least be able to hear himself because he could feel the tension in his face, the pull of his jaw, he should have been screaming too but he couldn't hear it.

The space around them rushed this way and that, all the while Dean focused on holding onto Cas. If he couldn't accomplish saving Castiel from the vortex in the first place he could at least hold onto him. Cas' grip was pretty strong in itself but their arms were stretched out and they were basically being pulled apart. Dean couldn't let that happen, he felt the strain on his shoulder and knew that he wouldn't be able to hold on forever. He tried to pull Cas in but couldn't do it, not one handed. Dean growled as he grit his teeth, reaching up with his other hand seemed to be as hard as sitting up when riding one of those gravity amusement park attractions. He found the strength though, pushing as hard as he could he managed to take hold of Cas' arm and start to reel him in.

Castiel looked up at him, those frightened blue eyes frantically looking for a way he could help, to keep himself from losing Dean. He forced his arm up to help pull himself in, the force of their spinning was like a merry-go-round, pulling at them to try and tear them apart. But neither of them would let it. If they didn't managed to do anything in that vacuum they'd at least be able to cling to one another.

The minutes they spent losing their breath and pulling together felt like hours but soon enough Dean had Castiel in his arms again, holding him there for dear life. "It's okay, Cas." He tried shouting it for his partner to hear but Castiel's head remained pressed against his shoulder, Dean didn't think he'd heard him.


	25. Ugly Duckling: Domus

_Fragments of Memories_

" _Did you know that Dean and I have lived like this most of our lives?" Sam smiled brightly across the table from Castiel, it was the second time Dean brought their neighbor over and Sam just couldn't get over how well his brother clicked with the stranger._

" _Have you now?" Cas was very good at humouring him, Sam could never really tell if Castiel was interested in what he had to say or not._

" _Yeah, really. Our parents died when we were little, Dean's been taking care of both of us ever since."_

" _Sounds like Dean's pretty good at this kind of thing." Castiel smiled and Sam knew at that moment that Cas had to stay._

* * *

**Domus**

Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. The two high priests lost velocity as they seemed to enter another limbo space, drifting to a stop. Their grip on one another loosened, Cas lifted his head to look around and Dean could feel the small vibrations of his trembling. "Cas?" He asked softly, secretly relieved to hear his own voice again. "What's a domus?"

"One of the shadow creatures in the void," Cas groaned and dropped his head against Dean again, somewhat comforted by his presence. "Goddamn it..."

"What's wrong?"

"I should have seen it!" Cas pulled away, his body lowering to the floor at a whim, feet touching down in the dimly lit area. "Domus are so fucking obvious, how did I not see it?" He screamed into the darkness, his voice echoing all around them.

"Calm down, you had a lot on your mind. How do we beat it? What's it doing?" Dean touched down beside him, trying to calmly move into Castiel's space without spooking him any.

"It's a shadow creature that takes over houses, usually there's a loud groaning noise during the night which is when it does most of its moving. Normally it chooses a room to nest in and in the dark it comes out, if there's someone in that room during the night it takes them." Cas ran a hand through his hair, the other fidgeting with the pajama top that the other Castiel had given him. It was soft, he wasn't sure what fabric exactly but it was very soft and comforting so he played with the hemming while his mind ran through what to do next.

"Is there a way out?" Dean looked around, not really able to see anything.

"Yes, but it's complicated." Cas furrowed his brow and started walking, "You need to face your fears, basically. If there are several people taken at once only one of them will need to accomplish this, not all. However the more people there are the deeper the fear will run."

"So if there was just one person then it would be pretty easy to get out?"

"Easier, anyway. After the person has faced whatever it is the domus throws at them they aren't always able to move in time. Often their mind is still in shock, the deeper the fear the longer it takes for their brain to process it all. However as soon as they beat the domus' test, it creates an exit. The opening to get out is temporary, it lasts for a few minutes and then the process starts all over again." Cas looked around as he walked, little bits of memories cropping up to create vague environments as he passed by. "Do you see anything right now, Dean?"

"Uhm... sort of, there's some furniture and stuff." Dean stepped around a chair as he walked, glancing over at Cas' rigid stride. "How does it decide who to target?"

"The person with the deeper fears, usually. The stronger it is the more likely it'll be that the other person will be able to see it too. Do you recognize any of this stuff?"

"Not really."

"I was afraid of that." Cas swallowed nervously, "Because I do..."

Dean's gaze snapped to Castiel again,  _'What am I going to see?'_  Was the first thought that came to mind and it worried him more than anything else. Because whatever he saw probably wasn't going to be the thing that scared Castiel the most but it'd be enough to torment him. And after everything that had already happened that day, why did it have to be Cas? "No," Dean hurried ahead of Castiel and looked around, "No! Target me, you son of a bitch!"

"Dean, it doesn't work like that." Castiel muttered, a chill running down his spine as the room started to take more of a shape than it had previously. It was his living room.

"Hey! You hear me!?" Dean wasn't listening, instead he was roaming around the forming house looking for the domus. "Cas, how do we kill it?" He spun around, ready with weapon in hand now, but it didn't matter.

Because Castiel was no longer listening.

Instead Cas was standing, facing the back of another Dean who was bracing himself against the wall, shoulders shaking and body tense.

"Dean?" Cas whispered, reaching over and sliding a hand along his bicep, "Baby, you should be in there."

"He's..." This phantom Dean was struggling to speak, his teeth grinding together. "I can't see him like this-"

"Dean just go..." Cas tried to interrupt, his voice was shaking and entirely uncertain as he tried. But that didn't matter either because his memory wasn't listening. Cas bit his lower lip and tried harder, pulling at Dean and attempting to force him. "You  _have_  to. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't! Dean!"

Instead of taking his lover's word, however, the phantom lashed out instead. It smashed Castiel in the face and knocked him backward, stumbling and tripping until he fell to the floor. Cas reached up and touched his face where he'd been struck, he didn't look at all surprised by it.

"Cas!" Dean, his partner, shouted and ran to his side. "Cas, you okay?"

"Yes... That happened last time."

"Last time? Cas, what's the fear that you have to face?" Dean started to pull him to his feet, he mostly ended up hauling Castiel up without much help. "Is it this asshole?"

"No... no I was never afraid of Dean." Cas turned his head toward the stairs, looking up as his face started to pale. "I could never... break it to Sam."

"Sam?" Dean looked up the stairs then back at Castiel, "Come on, let's go see him."

"I... I can't." Cas felt his arms shaking and he crossed them to try and stop it.

"You have to, now let's move." Dean grabbed Cas by the shoulders from behind and pushed him toward the stairs. It was a bit of a struggle but he managed to haul Castiel to the bedroom he seemed to be most anxious about. Dean opened the door and felt his stomach tighten into knots, Castiel bracing against him and letting out a soft cry of protest.

Sam was pale and thin, every part of him sunken in, his skin clinging to the bones in order to stay on. He rolled his head to the side to look toward the door and Dean saw how pale his eyes were, the dark circles beneath them, and even how wispy and unhealthy his hair looked. It was disgusting, he remembered how sick Sam had been back in his world but it had never gotten this bad. "What's happening to him?" Dean whispered to Castiel who could only shake his head as he approached Sam's bedside.

"Cas..." Sam wheezed with a half smile, "Where's... Dean?"

"He's..." Cas bit his lower lip and turned around to look at his partner, "He can't see you, I don't know what to say."

Dean watched the pain and fear in Castiel's eyes and realized that he'd had to lie to Sam the first time. "Lying to him doesn't work, does it?"

"No, I did that last time."

"Then what are you scared of?"

"Telling him the truth." Cas trailed off and glanced back over at the tired young man watching him from the bed. "I couldn't ever tell him his big brother was..."

"Cas?" Sam strained to sit up but couldn't. "Where's... Dean?"

"Sweetheart," Castiel fidgeted and looked around anxiously, wanting to lie again, to let Sam die in peace. But that wouldn't help, it hadn't then and it wouldn't now. "Sam, Dean's... Dean's not coming up."

Dean felt his heart ache as he watched the look on Sam's face, those already pained eyes flickering with the information. "Oh..." he coughed a few times, straining to keep it in but his entire body shook with the force of it. "Did... did he say why?"

"He says he can't." Castiel walked over and sat down at Sam's side, taking his cold hand and squeezing gently.

Dean stood and watched the exchange, the way Sam laid there silently, letting Castiel hold onto him but not really squeezing back. At least, from Dean's angle it didn't look like it. How could his little brother get so bad? Why wasn't the other Dean up there watching this? It tore him apart to see it, yes, but to say he didn't want to? To let Sam lie there alone? It wasn't right.

"Cas?" Sam squeaked, looking up with hazy vision, the already faded look seeming more and more pale.

"Yes Sam?"

"Can you get me some water?"

Cas hesitated, his body twitching to get up immediately and leave. But he stayed put. "No, Sam. I won't."

Dean furrowed his brow, "Cas, he wants water-"

"You want me to leave too, you want to justify these feelings of being alone, but I won't let you." Cas' voice was trembling and Dean could hear the strain of holding back tears without even having to see his face. "I won't let you," Cas repeated with a light sob, "Not this time." As he spoke Sam's limbs twitched and his eyes were glassy as tears slipped down his cheeks. Castiel held Sam's hand as his body convulsed and eyes rolled back, every muscle tightening and nearly tearing themselves apart. Castiel wouldn't let go. "I love you, Sam." he cried as he spoke, his own body quivering as he remained where he was.

Dean didn't know how he managed it but he walked forward to touch Castiel's shoulder. He was shaking too, his hand didn't feel all that comforting, he was sure, but he tried it anyway. He wanted to say something as Sam passed away, but it hurt too much for words. He'd avoided it in his world, his little brother was still with him and waiting back at that house. Dean tried to remind himself of that as he fought off the tears, at least for Castiel's sake. As they stood in silence the world faded, but Castiel didn't move.

Dean looked up when he saw a light, "The exit." he grabbed Cas and dragged him up, finding that his partner basically became dead weight. Dean groaned as he lifted Castiel into his arms and carried him out, holding him to his chest as he ran for the flickering exit.

As excited as he was to get out he still didn't know how to kill the damn thing. Dean stumbled into the bedroom again to find it was normal, like it had never been blown apart in the first place. He didn't stop to think just yet, instead he moved to lay Castiel down outside the room, incase it all happened again. "Alright," Dean drew his weapon again, this time creating something more along the lines of a light sabre. He knew he couldn't exactly fight a shadow with anything physical.

Dean entered the room again, peering inside to see the figure standing in the corner like it had been before, though this time it looked a little dazed, swaying back and forth like it had been smacked one too many times.  _'This must be a side effect of someone getting out.'_  He figured, closing in on the thing.

 _"Lift your hand, Winchester."_  A voice echoed in his head and nearly made him trip over the throw rug.

But Dean didn't argue, instead he lifted his hand toward the domus as instructed. He felt a wave flow through him, energy sparking up in his body like he'd never felt before. And before he really knew what was happening his mouth and body were moving on their own, words in another language spewing out and a light glowing in his palm. He wanted to pull back, call for Cas for an answer as to what was happening, but he couldn't. Instead he watched as something controlled his body, using him as a medium to vaporize the domus on the spot.

Dean gasped when he was suddenly in his own head again, hunching forward and falling to his knees. "What... the hell?" He turned to look out of the room, hoping maybe Cas was up but he could only see Castiel's feet, still motionless. "What the hell..."


	26. In Between: Time to Learn

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 6**

"Why is it always him?" Dean growled out as he lifted Castiel from the floor, his partner failing to reply or even move in any way. "Cas? Cas can you hear me?" Dean gently shook Castiel as he carried him to the couch downstairs, like hell they were taking a chance with that bedroom again. He could feel himself getting desperate the more limp Cas seemed to be. It'd happened several times already where he wound up unconscious for some reason or another, "How did you even survive on your own?!"

"Dean?" The word was so meek and quiet that he thought for a second that he'd imagined it, but Dean looked at Castiel's face anyway. Blue eyes opened lazily, fluttering to stay that way. "Dean," Cas squeaked, his hand coming up and grabbing at Dean's shirt. "I'm scared…"

"It's okay," Dean smiled the best he could, which wasn't too hard since he was so relieved to see Castiel's eyes open again.

"I'm scared." Castiel repeated shakily even though Dean had propped Cas up against his chest, trying to soothe him and make him feel safe again.

"You're fine, don't worry okay?" Dean cupped Cas' cheek gently and rocked him slowly, making sure that there were no sudden movements. He could feel his partner's body trembling and wished against all odds that he could magically make it stop. "I've got you, Cas. I've got you." He tried to use Castiel's name as much as possible, trying to keep the other a little more grounded. Part of him wondered if Castiel was seeing him or maybe a different Dean. Not that it made much of a difference, he'd still do his best to watch out for him.

"Where are we?" Castiel whispered after a few moments of silence, his shaking calming down to a controlled point. "Did we get out?"

"Yeah, I beat him." Dean smiled and tilted Cas' head back to see his face a little better, stopping the other priest from turning his head away.

"How? I never showed you..." Castiel furrowed his brow, his words still very softly spoken. "Did... did they...?"

"Well if by 'they' you mean hearing weird voices in my head, then yes?"

"The celestials... did they take control of you?" Castiel struggled to sit up though his body wasn't entirely cooperative. "Did they?"

"Yeah, for a few seconds. They vaporized the domus thing." Dean shrugged, "Why? Big deal?"

"Sort of, it means your magic will be active now." Castiel pulled himself up and motioned for Dean to follow him, "Come this way-"

"Cas, lie down! You just woke up, give it a second okay?" Dean grabbed his partner's hand and tugged him back, "Don't start this right away. Rest, please?"

Castiel turned back toward him, both priests looking worried and for similar reasons; they were concerned for their partner. "I know I need to rest, Dean. However your trial period is over now and I need to get you to them. They'll show you how to use it before it gets out of hand, so please just come with me."

Dean hesitated but stood and followed as Castiel opened another portal, "What about the other two?"

"I'll come back for them while you're training."

There wasn't a whole lot he could say anymore, Castiel hadn't let him let go of his hand and instead dragged Dean through without much of an effort. Dean often forgot how much stronger than a normal person he and Castiel were, their quick healing and everything else. If Sam or Jet went through half the things that they did he wondered how they'd fair.

* * *

**In Between**

Touching down on the somewhat familiar ground, standing before the staircase again, Dean could feel a strange vibration rumble in his body. "Cas..." He muttered as the trembling grew worse the longer he remained still, "Cas what's happening to me?" Dean barely managed the words before his eyes lit up, a overbearing heat waving down his arm and into his palm.

Castiel flinched at the burning sensation he was getting just through touch but didn't let go, instead he dragged Dean through to the celestials' chambers, "Train him!" He demanded without thinking, no proper etiquette or respect shown this time.

The center being raised a hand and the magic flaring to life inside of Dean died down. "What the hell was that!?" Dean panicked, rubbing his hands nervously and looking around for some kind of an answer.

"When your magic is active but you don't know how to control it any spell can activate itself through you." Cas sighed, clearly relieved they'd made it in time. "It happened to me too, except they took me in immediately so I was pretty lucky."

Dean blinked a few times and looked at the celestials that only seemed to smile in return, "Seriously though, what the hell are you guys?"

"Not now, Dean Winchester. We must teach you how to do the things that Castiel does." The center holy being spoke again, seemed to be the only one that did so. However Dean didn't manage a chance to reflect on it, a space opened below him and before he knew it he was sucked right through.

Castiel looked at the closing space and shook his head, knowing without having to hear it that Dean was screaming at the top of his lungs.  _'I wasn't too far off from that, I imagine.'_  He mused to himself before taking his leave to retrieve their comrades.

* * *

 

**Ugly Duckling World: Part 7**

"There he is!" Jet exclaimed as he caught hold of the dimension travelling priest, "What the hell, man? Sam and I were freaking!"

"Cas, where's Dean?" Sam was up and impatient, his eyes scanning over Castiel quickly enough to see he was exhausted. "And what happened? Are you okay?"

"Calm down, Dean is fine, I'm fine, I'll take you to him. We're finished here." Castiel explained, glancing over at their other selves who all looked as surprised he drifted through thin air as they were the first time. "Thank you for housing us, we appreciate it."

Cas was the first to respond to his other self, standing up and moving to give him a hug, "I hope everything goes well between you two." He whispered in the other's ear before letting him go. "Good luck."

"Thank you, and congratulations on your marriage, it seems perfect." The priest responded kindly before taking the others away, no other words left to be spoken.

Dean wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulders and squeezed him gently, "You're surprisingly good at coping with weird shit, you know that?"

"I had to deal with your suddenly changed mind, I'm pretty good at dealing with weird things." Cas grinned playfully.

"I'm just glad that's over." Gabriel sighed, looking over at Sam who shrugged in return.

"I guess, though I kinda wanted to see the monster they were talking about..."

"There wasn't one, I'd bet." Jet shook his head and started back toward his bed, "Bunch of crazies."

"Maybe," Cas hummed, staring at the space the portal had been in.

* * *

**In Between: Training**

Dean felt like his mind was being molested, like there were hands inside his head that just wouldn't back off. Part of him thought maybe they were his own, feeling around inside the newfound abilities and mental processing. The rest was concerned the holy beings were having fun with him. Regardless, Castiel had handed him over to this and he wasn't about to step away from it, not if his partner believed it to be necessary. Cas trusted them so Dean would do, for now anyway. He had too many questions to just let it slip by him.

"You are a good man, Dean."

The voice was in his head again, or maybe it was all around him? He couldn't really be sure, it was the only sound he could hear.

"You make a compatible partner with Castiel."

Dean furrowed his brow, somehow that didn't quite sound right. "Compatible? That's it?"

"Yes, some of his needs seem to slip past you."

It was hard to swallow, that maybe he wasn't a good partner, but that wasn't why he was in the weird float-y space in the first place. "What do you want me to do, here?"

"You are currently in a neutral space, where positive and negative energy have clashed out and have left a sort of zone for meditation. In this space you will remain until everything is sorted through in your mind, just as Castiel has done before you, and other high priests before him."

 _'So just sit and wait, huh?'_  Dean chewed on the inside of his cheek for a few seconds before shaking his head, "What about the training Cas mentioned?"

"This is it. Close your eyes, feel your mind and the rest will come to you."

And that was the last Dean heard from them as he remained in limbo, his mind going far too fast to just let it roam. Thoughts of Castiel, spells, magic, and something much more physical than the little spark he'd started to feel. His head swam with old information, his past and history, new information and even things he'd never actually heard before. Dean could hear the celestials speaking but not to him particularly, as if they were talking to someone else entirely but knew that at some point he'd over hear.

He could hear Castiel, clear as a bell;  _"Who are you?"_  Dean struggled to see him, to see the situation somehow and connect better with his partner. He wanted to know inherently when Castiel needed something, needed  _him_.

Then the world opened to him, the darkness drifting to the corners of his vision and he could see Castiel in set of pajamas he hadn't been wearing previously. Dean knew what Cas had been wearing, those pajamas weren't it. That didn't mean the clothes were entirely unfamiliar, Dean had seen them before somewhere but he just couldn't bring himself to remember it exactly.

However when he saw the strangle marks on Castiel's neck he remembered; the nightmare he'd had before they'd met, the one where he imagined himself as the Dean who tried to kill Cas.  _'This is him just before becoming a priest, isn't it?'_  He thought almost excitedly, straining to pay attention. Seeing past situations with the celestials wasn't easy if he didn't focus, he was starting to realize that as the audio from it all distorted every now and then.

_"Who are you? Where am I?" Castiel was frantic and his body was heaving with borderline hyperventilation, "What happened to him!?" He screamed, the pain reverberating around the room. "Dean!? DEAN! Baby where are you!? What happened?"_

_"Castiel Winchester, calm yourself."_

_"DEAN!" Cas wailed, curling in on himself and clutching his chest as more agonized cries tore from his mouth._

The sobbing was too much for Dean to listen to, his heart hurt just hearing it and as much as he wanted to pretend that maybe this was a different reality Cas, he knew it wasn't. This was his Castiel crying, in so much pain he couldn't breathe. Dean couldn't take it, he forced himself up, finding it was difficult to move but pushing through it anyway, "Cas! I'm right here!" He shouted but his voice didn't reach. Of course not, it wasn't the present time.

Or so he thought before Castiel flinched and looked around, sniffling and trying desperately to get himself together. Dean froze, wondering if altering time was possible in this realm or maybe he was playing along to a destined script. It was weird to try and comprehend any of it, and in trying to do so he wound up doing nothing but standing and staring.

_"Dean?"_

_"He is not here, Castiel. We need you to focus, what you just saw was a demoni possessing your lover and there are many others like it."_ The celestial had spoken again though Castiel's attention was elsewhere. A few moments of this passed before Castiel's body started to glow and strange light was emitted from his orifices, flashing in every direction without purpose. Dean could understand what it was now, Castiel wasn't in control of his new magical abilities and some random spell was sparking to life inside him.

The scene ended as quickly as it had begun and Dean found himself reaching forward for a Castiel that wasn't really in his time. And yet, even though they hadn't connected then Dean could still feel it. Like a piece of him was with Castiel, had comforted him a little bit in a time where he needed to hear Dean's voice. He could feel Castiel with him, going through this same process of meditation at the same time in some other reality. It was a comfort and focused his mind a lot easier than just sitting in his own silence ever could have.


	27. In Between: Timeline's Corruption

**In Between**

"This is it?" Sam breathed out as they ascended the staircase toward the gate, his heart beat rapidly and while his mind swarmed with so many questions he asked the most obvious one. Part of him wanted to slap himself, the rest just didn't quite care enough to really think on it any further than that.

"Yes," Castiel sighed in return and rolled his neck a little to crack it. He was aware they could possibly end up being there for a while; his own training hadn't quite gone quick as lightning. Then again he was in a state of grief he thought he could hear Dean everywhere. It was enough to make him feel like he was going crazy; even now he had to wonder about it. "You will meet the celestial beings responsible for making Dean and I high priests, and-"

"You mean the guys who can't take care of the friggin' world on their own?" Jet scoffed, "Yeah, right, sign me up! I wanna meet those guys…"

"Stow your sarcasm, will you? They aren't anything to scoff at and quite frankly I don't think you understand what's going on enough to judge." Castiel countered Jet's snarky-ness with his own snap of anger, not in the mood to really sit and listen to it.

"You're right," Sam nodded and hurried up the rest of the stairs and ahead of them, "We don't know enough, I'm going to go ask."

"Sam!" Cas shouted after him but Sam, and of course Jet who wouldn't let Sam out of his sight in a weird little world if he had a say in it, escaped ahead. Cas would have run after them but he was still feeling the effects of the domus, his legs were shaky and he felt a bit nauseous with sudden movements. "Fucking people…" He growled out.

Sam walked into the main room with the three celestial beings and though he felt like maybe he should stop and bow or something he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd thought when he was face to face with them maybe they'd demand it but they didn't, in fact their faces seemed unchanging as he approached. "So what are you?" He asked after a moment of looking around.

"We are holy beings that watch over the universe." Only the one in the center spoke, Sam turned his attention toward it, glad to have an indication of which one to focus on.

"So are you what people are referring to when they say 'god'?"

"Yes. We are the deities that mankind refers to; in many worlds this is the case. However some realities have their own gods present within them."

Sam furrowed his brow and crossed his arms, trying to find something to do with them, "So… then are you above that?"

"Yes. We are more than those deities."

"So then why haven't  _you_  fixed the universe?" Jet stepped forward, his expression pinched a little like it usually did when he was irritated, a sign that he was attempting to not get severely pissed off. "Why does Cas have to run around by himself for centuries alone? Almost dying for you bastards when you're these all-powerful god things?"

"We never said we were all powerful, Jet."

Jet opened his mouth but paused and stepped back, glancing over at Sam for a moment before looking back to the celestial beings. They were larger than life, really, and the way they glowed was pretty calming in itself. It all seemed so weird, standing in front of three cloaked individuals, the only part of them he could really identify was their eyes, and yet they still felt less sketchy than majority of the people he'd met in his life. Jet fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt, contemplating what to say next when Castiel entered the room.

The priest stepped inside and proceeded into a low, sweeping bow onto one knee before rising again. "I'm sorry, I don't currently have the strength to stop them from bombarding you."

"It is alright, Castiel." The celestial chuckled softly and gave a gentle wave of its hand, "We were expecting this. Sam Winchester is renowned for his curiosity."

Sam blinked and looked up at them, "I… what?"

"You are seeking knowledge of the events unfolding, are you not?"

"Well… yeah, I am. I'm tired of fumbling around in the dark while Cas has to be the only one who knows what we're up against."

"You are lucky to have Castiel's knowledge though it too is limited. One can only experience so much in the span of time that Castiel has had."

Sam exchanged a look with Castiel who had found a pillar to lean against for support; it was tiring having to stand for too long. He wanted to push the subject but from the way the beings had avoided the real topic he figured he wouldn't get the answers right away. Instead he considered Dean, he could tell by Castiel's face that he was thinking about it too, the difference was that Cas understood what happens with this whole scenario. "What's… what's happening to my brother right now?"

"His magic has awakened inside him, he's under going training so it does not tear him apart."

"I don't like how calmly you say that…" Jet muttered, his hand twitching at his side as he started to pace the room. "Can we help him?"

"No, Dean must take this challenge on his own. We've done everything we can for him."

Castiel scoffed lightly and looked down at his feet, remembering clearly what their 'help' entailed. Basically letting him feel like he'd lost his mind after forcing his magic out of him, taking over his body and using it to kill his husband. It wasn't what Cas would have called 'helpful' but after saving a few realities he'd never say it wasn't worth it. "He'll be alright, it's not that hard." He wished it was so easy but Dean was in his right head, he wasn't stricken with grief and he knew there were people who cared about him waiting. Cas wasn't too worried about him. Worried, but not to the point of being sick over it.

Sam and Jet both glanced toward him but neither spoke up immediately. Instead they shifted around, Jet wandered a bit closer and Sam tried to appear a little less concerned about it. "What happened when you did it?" Sam was the one to ask, of course.

"It…" Cas paused as the memories dredged up, his mind opening something he'd tucked away. Not forgotten but hidden. "It was scary at first, I'd just lost my husband." He folded his arms around himself and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "I was hurting, from the heartache and from the spell that was trying to come out. But once they put me in the place Dean's in now I calmed down. I-" He laughed at himself and rubbed at his face, trying to find a reason to not look up. "I thought I could hear  _him_."

"Dean?" Jet asked softly, walking over and dropping down near by.

"Yeah… He was there with me. He kept telling me it was going to be fine, that  _he knew_  I'd be okay someday." Cas wiped at his eyes as tears welled up, "I will never forget it… I was so scared and sad, I wanted to see him… I know he wasn't really there and that I was probably completely insane but I love that memory."

Jet and Sam shared another look as the younger Winchester plopped down across from them, his long leg stretching out and nudging at Castiel's foot. "Hey, he wasn't wrong, was he?"

Cas smiled and shook his head, "No, I suppose he wasn't."

"So what now? Just sit here?" Jet leaned back and crossed his arms behind his head.

"Pretty much, I'm gonna try asking more questions." Sam got up and went to do just that, though the celestials weren't particularly chatty.

* * *

_Hours Later…_

* * *

Something about the celestials didn't sit right with Sam; time slipped by as they waited and the more it passed the more he started to wonder. The answers they received were far from 'answers' really, they got a lot 'we did not say that' and 'there is no real answer to give'. It was starting to get on his nerves but Sam refrained from really saying anything specifically about it. In truth he just wanted to see his brother but knew that they had to wait. Occupying his mind with other questions was probably just as important, like questions about the monsters they were facing or the significance of the other realities and why now after centuries of Castiel going through it all, were they running into duplicates?

In fact the holy beings seemed familiar in ways that Sam was comfortable and at the same time very uncomfortable with. It wasn't all that different from the discomfort he felt from running into himself over and over again, like he knew the man he was looking at but at the same time he really couldn't say that he did. How well did he know himself? How well did he know his brother or friends? Sure, he could blame his ignorance on the fact that the alternate versions of them experienced different things and grew up in different realities, but then where was his excuse when it came to the people he was travelling with? Castiel he'd hardly known through a hole in the ground and he felt like maybe he knew more about the high priest's psyche than he knew about Jet's, and possibly even Dean's.

"Can I ask you a favour?" He spoke up again, the first to break the silence in the time that had passed.

The center celestial looked at him and nodded, the other two still unmoving and completely lost on Sam. They never spoke, they barely budged, and from the distance the travellers had kept that whole time he hadn't gotten a good look at them. As far as he knew the damn things could have holes where their eyes should be and he would be none the wiser.

"Do you have a book on these monsters? Something I can reference? Cas is the only one who knows anything and last time he was the one who was affected by the domus, leaving Dean to scramble around and try to figure it out. Jet and I aren't much help as it is, I  _need_  something on these things." He watched the way the center being glanced over to the others that both moved at once to look at it, there seemed to be a silent discussion between their eyes alone before the holy one on the left revealed an item from its robe.

"One had been started by a young man some time ago but he was unable to continue his battles. If you'd like-" It stopped when the being on its right gripped its other arm.

Sam furrowed his brow as they seemed to bicker for a moment, glancing over at Castiel who appeared a little confused at the behaviour but more along the lines of 'you choose now to do this?' Cas looked his way and shrugged, a sort of 'what can you do' expression on his face.

The one the on the right nodded toward Sam but the center being shook their head before reaching out the book for Sam to take. "You will make better use of it than us."

Sam approached, feeling like maybe it should be more impressive to approach the holy beings of the universe but it felt like crossing any other room. He took the book in hand, pulling it to himself and tracing his fingers over the binding for a moment. It was so familiar; he looked up at the center being that appeared so much smaller in front of him than across the room. Everything felt strange, like deja vu over and over and over again. He didn't like the feeling, he didn't like how much he recognized the eyes of the celestial before him, he didn't like how familiar the journal in his hands was.

Up close they were so much smaller, and Sam realized that it wasn't just a feeling he was having, they really were smaller up close. He glanced back to where Jet and Castiel were perched, seeing the air between them ripple subtly every so often. It was illusionary magic, or something. He looked back up, "Who are you?" He heard himself ask the question and the being's eyes seemed to smile through their veil.

"Now is not the time to answer that question either, Sam."

Even its voice started to ring bells, but the way it came across sounded like something was altering it from the original, like it was speaking through some kind of scrambler. However despite how much Sam thought he could recognize this being, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Sam, come here." Castiel called to him, "I know what you're feeling and it's normal."

"What? That these guys freak him the fuck out?" Jet frowned and raised an eyebrow at the holy creatures that Castiel seemed to serve so aimlessly. "Ever stop to think you should question this kind of shit?"

"Jet, you don't know enough to really be saying something like that." Cas replied calmly, not taking Jet's annoyance to heart.

"I don't know enough? They aren't answering any important fucking questions, when am I going to know enough?"

"Just shut up for a minute," Cas muttered as Sam sat down beside him, "You feel like you know them, right?"

"Yeah," Sam murmured, lifting up the journal and flipping it open to the first page. He froze, eyes widening as the 'this journal belongs to' line sunk in.

_John Winchester_

Signed and everything, just like the one Sam had back at his place. This was his dad's journal, it was exactly the same as the one he'd hidden in his dresser, among all of his things for years, he was sure of it. The lettering was the same, weird way he'd scribbled the 'J' and etched out 'Winchester' like some form of script. Sam knew it had to be the same, he'd practiced signing his name the same way, trying to mimic the way his father had once written Winchester like it was a legacy thing. By now it was habit and just how Sam wrote it, but back when he was younger and trying to do it he'd studied it harder than Dean ever had. Dean didn't even know Sam had it; he'd never shared it.

"I know this journal..." he looked up at the celestials that remained where they were, suddenly seemingly larger than life again but Sam knew why. "Was my dad the one who wrote this?"

"No."

His heart skipped and everything felt wrong as he skimmed ahead to look at the first entries.

It was his writing.

"It... was a Sam?"

"Yes."

"What?" Castiel snapped and stood up, snatching the book from Sam's hands, "How? Sam Winchester was never a Priest!"

"We never said he was, Castiel. Why does it seem so odd to you that a duplicate of a man you know, a man you knew, could exist? You've run into many already."

"You're implying that this other Sam travelled the mainline," Cas spoke as he looked through the journal a little, noting the different entries and reading them quickly. The first one was a good place to start and it was one that made him stutter to a halt; it described the first incident's demoni situation. The ability to possess a human if its power level was high enough, the way it was weaker when in control of a human body and all the things that Cas had ever explained to Sam about the creature. There next entry was a raptoribus, then the aer situation where they ran into several over and over again, it was eerie. Recounting their journey as if the Sam with them had been writing all along.

"Sam," Cas looked over at him trying to keep his surprise to a minimum, "Did you bring your father's journal with you?"

"I…" Sam furrowed his brow and bit his lower lip, "No, I didn't. I mean I had packed some things when we first left but I never ended up bringing it with from the first world."

"Yeah, my shit got ruined first thing." Jet laughed, "Dean and I landed right in a pond or something. It was kind of funny, though at the time I was pissed."

"So then…" Castiel shook his head and looked up at the celestials, "Is this a timeline thing?"

The center one nodded.

"I don't understand, if they were using the mainline I would have seen them!"

"It's an alternate timeline for the mainline; a timeline that was never meant to exist but found its way into doing so."

"So… there's an alternate timeline for the mainline that's a connector between alternate realities… Do I have that right?" Jet pushed off the floor as he spoke, walking up beside Cas and looking down at the journal in his hands.

"Yes…" Cas muttered, also trying to wrap his head around it. "Essentially there are alternate realities of the realities we've visited already. I didn't know the mainline could have a different timeline of its own."

"It can and it does." The celestial sounded tired as it spoke, like it had to do this at other points in time.

"How many times have you had to explain this to us?" Sam blurted out, starting to feel very insignificant in a mess of worlds and timelines.

"Never, when the timeline split from where it was supposed to go the original timeline reset itself. The corrupted timeline has since stopped moving and is frozen where it is, the correct route, the real timeline reset itself to a point centuries back."

"So did the timeline fix itself from the corruption point?" Castiel handed the journal back to Sam and turned his full attention to the beings he'd been taking orders from for as long as he could remember, "Are we past the point where it split the first time?"

"No, that time is approaching."

"What do we need to do?" Cas pushed, hoping for an answer.

"The high priests will face difficult moments and how they emerge will alter the timeline. I believe you will not end up like the previous timeline; I've already changed it for you."

"What?" Cas, Sam and Jet all asked in unison. But their words fell flat because the illusionary magic creating their larger image grew thicker until they could no longer see through it. When it cleared the celestials were gone entirely.

"What happened!?" Jet pointed and shouted, mostly directing the question Castiel's way.

"They do this too, mostly when they don't want to answer more questions." Cas growled and went back to where he was sitting. "We wait for Dean and then we leave, that's all."

Sam gripped the journal and looked down at it again, his mind trying to piece it all together. "They changed it for us? Does that mean that the things I'll read after this won't actually happen that way?"

"It's kind of like we got a cheat sheet, you think that's what he meant?" Jet looked down at Cas who seemed more frustrated than either of them.

"Possibly… they've just given us something that'll tell us what happens to us… either they've already taken the precautions to change it and the situations in that journal won't line up with what we're about to go through, or it'll be the same and we need to read ahead and change the outcome."

Sam sat down and flipped it back to the first page, "Well I'm going to get some reading in while we wait for Dean."


	28. In Between: Training

**Training Realm**

Dean would describe his position as 'floating on his back', like he were at the beach or something. His mind rushed over things briefly but soon quieted itself; he kept going back to the thought of Castiel going through this same thing. What was it like for him? Had it been so peaceful or had his magic tried to tear him apart? Dean thought he was fairing pretty well, but then again everything about him seemed to be much more physical than Castiel. Cas was always spouting off spells and crazy magic, just kind of instinctively knowing things and how to do them. Maybe that's how this would turn out; maybe that's where his training would get him.

Considering nothing felt different yet he highly doubted it, but lately he'd learned not to completely dismiss anything.

As he started to drift again, his body and mind feeling like they were melting together and becoming one afterthought, he could hear something. Dean pulled himself from the state of peace and listened harder, everything in him telling him it was important to hear it. After a few seconds he recognized the sounds somewhat; someone was crying.

Dean lifted himself up and started walking, everything felt so weightless but he walked anyway. The scenery wasn't really there but at the same time he could see it, little things from his memories, from his life, and then some he remembered seeing in Cas' nightmare, from Castiel's past. The further he went the more it looked like things that Castiel might have been involved with and Dean was certain now who the crying belonged to.

"Cas?" He called out and immediately the crying quieted, like the other person was listening.

"Dean?" The voice was so meek and pained that it brought tears to Dean's eyes just to hear it.

"Cas, I'm right here." He called again, seeing a figure curled in on itself ahead of him. It had to be Castiel, it was  _his_  Castiel but from another timeline. He could feel it, between them, their partnership and everything else in between. Something about time in this space didn't really exist; he could feel it with every little part of his being that this space was something else. It wasn't meant to keep them separate from everyone else; it was to bring them together. He wondered if Castiel had known all that time they'd known one another, but his suspicions were put to rest when he finally settled next to Castiel's side.

"Dean? Is that really you?" Cas sobbed though Dean could tell he hadn't wanted to, Cas was a very strong-willed person and crying like this wasn't something he'd do in front of others willingly. "Baby I'm so sorry, I-"

"Shhh," Dean smiled and pulled Castiel into his arms, holding him still and secure, waiting for the crying and blubbering fit to pass.  _'He doesn't know who I am, he thinks I'm the other Dean…'_ He thought briefly but decided it really wasn't worth it to try and explain. He knew Castiel could feel it, their connection, but at that moment in time Castiel believed it was because of the marriage he'd been in. It was alright though, Dean knew things would change. "It's okay, Cas. You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I killed you…" Cas sighed against his chest, sniveling and trying to regain his composure, "I-I murdered you. What's happening? Did I go crazy?"

"You're not crazy, this is just magic training." Dean said calmly and ran a hand through Cas' hair, something he'd wanted to do for a while. It felt so intimate, just that brief little touch. He could remember the moment they'd shared in that shower, how close they had been then. It was something he hadn't imagined himself being able to do, being intimate enough with someone to be able to touch them like this whenever he wanted. It was a strange feeling and yet it all seemed so right.

"Magic training?"

"Yeah," Dean chuckled at how confused and clueless Cas sounded. It didn't sound like him at all, the Cas he knew was so obnoxious with how he knew everything, always answering questions like they were the biggest annoyance to his entire existence.

"I don't understand… what do I do? What's happening, Dean?" The tears came again, Cas' body seized a little as he tried to fight it off but it shook him despite his best efforts. "I'm so scared," he whimpered, fingers digging into Dean's shirt and pulling it as his hand clenched around the fabric. "I'm so scared this isn't real, that I'll wake up and you won't be there. Dean, please don't leave. Please be there. Don't leave me, I'm so sorry! Don't, please don't… Don't be dead, Dean. Please. Please don't be dead. I need you. I love you."

"Cas," Dean wanted to quiet Castiel's incoherent babbling but no matter how tightly he held on Castiel still seemed to shake violently. The harder Cas clung to him the more it started to hurt, Dean could feel the front of his shirt getting wet and wished with all his might that he had the power to stop Castiel from going through this. "It's okay, Cas, baby it's okay."

Cas inhaled so sharply and sporadically that it wracked his body harder, "It hurts," he whined softly, lifting his head from Dean's chest only to wrap his arms around him and bury his face against Dean's neck. "I can't take it… baby I want to be with you. I can't do this alone."

"You won't be alone," Dean adjusted the way he was holding Cas and cradled him a little better, trying his best to soothe the stiffened muscles and relax Castiel. "I know you will be okay one day. It hurts now, I know that and I can't stop that, but someday you will be with me again. I promise you, if you keep going you will see me again."

Castiel quieted down and seemed to loosen up, his grip much less painful and slowly drifting to something normal. "I will?" His voice was hushed and a little raspy from the crying.

"Yes, but you'll have to continue on your own for a little while. I know you can do it," Dean smiled and nudged Castiel's cheek when the other man leaned back to look at him, "You're the toughest guy I've ever met."

Cas tried to smile but it looked like it got a little stuck. "So… how do I do this magic thing?"

Dean laughed and held onto Cas as he lay back again, "You lean back like this, close your eyes and relax until you feel like you're floating." He felt weird explaining things to Castiel and he had to wonder about the Castiel he knew, was he going to know which Dean had helped him? Dean had an inkling that the answer was 'probably not', which only furthered his questioning to 'how would Castiel take this information?' Regardless, he had work to do in helping Cas figure out his magic.

"I… I kind of feel like I'm floating…" Cas muttered quietly, still happily pressed against Dean and really Dean wasn't about to push him away.

"Good, so then do you feel it?"

Cas was quiet for a long time and Dean thought the answer might be no but when he looked down, Cas was glowing. His skin had a luminescence about it, a pale light glistening very softly and making him look more angelic than ever. "I do… I think I do." The light flickered and brightened every few moments, Dean was starting to worry but Castiel only smiled as it shone. "It feels so warm, but it's not a temperature at all. I don't know how to explain it, Dean."

"Just embrace it and learn it, baby." Dean relaxed and leaned back as well, a little surprised at himself for calling Castiel 'baby' so easily. Part of him was worried Cas might snap to his senses and suddenly know who Dean was, that he'd be pissed for all of this and basically end all of Dean's chances at getting closer. Of course he knew that was actually fairly ridiculous, Cas was waiting for him back with Sam, Jet, and the celestials. Cas wasn't about to start kicking his ass any time soon.

Despite his mind's ability to distract itself Dean found that he was feeling that warmth Castiel had mentioned. He was right, it wasn't like a temperature but more of that kind of warmth you feel when you're with people you care about, or when you know that someone loves you. It tingled at times but that didn't bother him too much, not when he knew that Cas was right there experiencing it with him.

The process didn't take that long, or at least it didn't feel like it. Dean opened his eyes to see blue staring back at him; Castiel was perched over him with a smile that was enough to make Dean feel like he was falling in love all over again. "Hey," He grinned in return but before he could say more Cas' lips were on his. It was so soft and sweet, a perfect pressure against his mouth that didn't demand anything or require more from him. He felt like he could slip into that kiss forever and it wouldn't matter to him, but he knew better than that.

"Thanks, Dean." Cas whispered as he pulled away, "I feel better now, though I'm still not sure what's going on."

"It's okay not to know sometimes." Dean chuckled, "I guess that's it… I'll see you around." He could feel himself slipping, being pulled back to where he was supposed to be. He didn't really want to go, especially not when he could see Castiel's face twist like it did at his words. All the pain there, the redness of his eyes and the way he tried so desperately not to cry again just made Dean want to stay but he couldn't. He was going back to Cas  _now_ , the later he had just promised this Cas was right now.

"I love you…" Cas' whimper echoed in Dean's ears as everything rushed away. He inhaled deeply and swallowed thickly past a lump in his throat, trying just as hard not to cry for Castiel.

* * *

**In Between**

Sam looked up when he heard it, a shaky breath that didn't belong to the three already present in the room. "Dean!" He bolted to his brother's side who was just starting to sit up. "Dean, are you okay? How did it go?"

"Hey Sammy," Dean rubbed his eyes quickly and smiled at the bright eyes of his curiosity driven brother. "I'm fine and it went pretty well."

"What happened in there, man? Cas said his experience was a little rocky, yours go smoothly at least?" Jet knelt down at Dean's other side, a quick glance over him to make sure he was okay.

"Rocky how?" Dean looked up at Castiel who had also approached though the other priest had given Sam and Jet the closer spaces next to Dean.

"Nothing, just a little loss of sanity." Castiel's mouth quirked in a sort of smile like he was hiding it. Dean smirked back at him and shook his head.

"I don't think that's what it was, Cas." The way he'd said it hinted that he knew, and even been so subtle as to hint toward it Castiel still caught on. Dean could see it in his face.

"Was…" Cas' lower lip trembled, he was emotionally shaken up- Dean could hear it all in his voice. "Was that you?"

"Just now, yeah." Dean stood up and steadied himself enough to look Cas in the eye, "You remember it all, don't you? Even though it was a long time ago for you?"

Cas bit back a sob, taking a shuddering breath as he turned away to cover his mouth. His movements indicated he really didn't know what he was doing, one step forward and a few to the side. He turned a couple times to try and choose a direction but he had none.

"Cas," Dean went to his side and took his hand, holding firmly despite Castiel's flinching attempt to pull away. "Cas, would you please look at me?"

"You're… you're not lying." Cas stammered out, lifting his gaze to Dean's, "I never remembered it… but you were wearing the uniform back then, before I'd ever even seen it. It really was you. You were there then- just now… I don't-"

"Calm down," Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel, calming him again, just like he had done before. "It's okay, Cas. I don't think there's any kind of time in that space. But that doesn't matter, what matters is that I'm here. Just like I promised you, I'm here."

Castiel stared blankly as the words settled, his hands hesitating as his mind did the same before he threw his arms around Dean and crushed his face against his partner's shoulder. He dug his fingers in again, his heart thundering in his ears as his brain caught up with it. He could feel it again, the strength of the connection he'd felt during his training. Cas had always thought it was the love he'd felt for his husband that gave him that feeling, the one that made him feel like he'd be okay. It was what gave him hope and strength to push forward, because he knew how important and strong that connection was. But now he understood he was wrong. It was the connection to his partner that he'd felt that day, not the love for his husband.

"I still had nightmares about him," Cas whispered.

Dean nodded silently, his hand daring to cradle the back of Castiel's head as they stood together.

"Him trying to strangle me… I would wake up in my nightmare and though I couldn't see him I could hear him ask me to look. He would ask me to look at him, over and over until I did. His face… I would open my eyes to see the same dead… He was always just lying there." Cas stammered before lifting his head again to look at Dean, "But those nightmares haven't come back since you, since I met you."

Dean smiled and nodded, "I'm glad."

"I don't know if it means anything…"

"Does it matter?" Dean gently pushed Cas' head back against his shoulder and rested cheek on the soft dark hairs, "It's okay now."

Cas closed his eyes and relaxed against him, "Thank you." He sighed.

"What just happened?" Jet looked over at Sam who couldn't help the 'little brother' smirk on his face.

"Dean and Cas finally figured out they were made for each other, I think."

Jet scoffed lightly and looked at the two high priests with a raised eyebrow, "Somehow I doubt it's that easy, Dean's too much of a mutton-head for it to ever go that smoothly."

Sam laughed and nodded, "Yeah, probably."


	29. Fallout: Living Wasteland

_Fragments of Memories_

" _Cas check it out!" Sam dropped onto the couch next to Castiel, a large binder in hand. Cas was a little perturbed by the sudden appearance of his new neighbour but he did well not to show it. He had, after all, been invited over for the tenth weekend in a row._

" _What's up, Sam?" He asked before realizing that Sam was holding a photo album in hand. "Oh my god, is that-?"_

" _It is," Sam grinned wide as he opened it to the first picture of Dean, "Perfect for embarrassing your older brother with the guy he likes."_

_Cas' face lit up like a Christmas tree, cheeks burning like Sam had lit a fire under his chin. "He… he what?"_

_Sam didn't reply with more than turning the page and pointing out the next image, though Cas couldn't mistake that evil little brother grin for anything else. Sam's body shook a little when he attempted to hold back a cough, it was only a few seconds but it caught Castiel's attention._

" _You okay?"_

" _Yeah, just catching a cold or something." Sam smiled, "I'll be fine."_

* * *

**Mainline**

Castiel stepped through the portal last, a feeling a bit strange to go through a rift that someone else had made. He'd never had a partner, always did things alone, so when Dean opened their escape route he was hesitant to go through it, but only for a moment. "Not bad," He offered a smile and received one in return.

"Thanks," Dean took a moment to look around at the mainline again. "Feels like forever already since we were here…"

"Couldn't have been that long," Jet shrugged, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, "Though maybe you've got a point."

Dean looked down below the mainline's road into the void, there was still a world surrounded in darkness, the same one Castiel refused to let them go near. He wanted to ask about it again but knew that maybe it wasn't the best time to start an argument. He'd already pushed his luck with being the person Castiel remembered from magic training, he didn't need to mess with that too. "So… you guys said that the celestials disappeared, does that mean they're gone?"

"No," Cas shook his head and walked to Dean's side, "They left the immediate space they were in, that doesn't mean they're gone. They'll return to that space again, they always do. Though right now I'm not sure they'll answer us if we need them, so be careful."

"Doesn't matter," Sam grinned, "We've got a journal about some of the monsters we'll be fighting, maybe even a bit on the worlds we'll come across. We're set."

They had explained everything to Dean, including the journal being John's and having Sam's writing in it. The corrupted timeline and the celestials' last words to them; he couldn't make sense of it either and they'd all decided that dwelling on something they had no answers to was a waste of time when there were realities that needed them. Dean agreed with the 'move forward' plan, though it didn't stop the questions from bombarding them all. But no one had the answers to said questions so asking them would only induce more frustration and arguing and that was even more of a waste of time.

Instead they moved forward, Sam hoping to pick which world to go to, following the journal but he couldn't quite make out which one his other self had spoken about. "I guess maybe we just pick one?" He finally said, a little deflated.

"Yeah… but can I see something?" Jet asked as he snatched the journal from Sam's hands, the younger male ready to throw a fit but stifling it last second.

"What're you looking for, man?" Dean leaned over his friend's shoulder and peered at the pages. He didn't exactly recognize it to be Sam's writing but he trusted his brother's judgment all the same.

"The ending, maybe the other Sam wrote about what happened to corrupt the last timeline…" He murmured and it was possibly the smartest thing Dean had heard come from Jet's mouth. Granted Jet could be a hell of a motivational person when he wanted to but good and smart ideas rarely came out of the guy.

The other three waited a few seconds before Castiel was the first to lose patience, "Read it out loud Jet."

The oldest of the three brunettes glanced up from the journal for a second before going back to it, "Last entry doesn't look like the first ones, more of a diary kind of thing. ' _I'm still not sure how to tell when a day goes by in here or if it does at all, regardless we've been waiting on the mainline road for ages. I still can't believe he did it, what were you thinking Dean? Did you just let go? Was it so hard to just keep going? Take the chance? I guess maybe it was for you. Cas hasn't woken up yet; I don't think he will… Maybe I'm just losing hope in this mess. The magic surge that went through him was strong; I think some of it passed to Jet and I too… Was that you, Dean? I don't know why I'm writing this down. Maybe I think you'll read this some day Dean, if you're still out there. I'm done with it. The entire mainline went out, the fires have gone and nothing is moving anymore, not even the void. We're stuck, that's it… Can't even ask any higher powers for help, they didn't come back after that. You were right, it killed them. I guess immortal wasn't something they told us they were either…'_ " Jet trailed off and skimmed to the bottom of the page.

"Is that it?" Sam asked after a few seconds of waiting.

"There's some smeared stuff, scribbled out, and at the end I can make out the words 'It's over."

Dean ran a hand into his hair, "Okay… so what did we get from that?"

"They… killed the holy beings?" Castiel answered hesitantly, "Or… the ones from their timeline?"

"But that doesn't make sense, why would they do that?" Sam shook his head, "No, I think something happened that resulted in their death. This is really starting to freak me out, guys…"

"Don't worry," Dean gripped Sam's shoulder and pulled him into a hug, something he felt they hadn't done enough lately. "I'm not going anywhere, I promised Cas and that means you too, alright? The Dean in the corrupted timeline left, by the sound of it. I won't."

Jet wanted to expression something about that, something about saying 'You can't promise that', or mentioning that they didn't know the circumstances of why the other Dean had left. Their counterparts sounded like they were almost  _exactly_ the same people, maybe even down to their backstories. If this Dean swore he'd never leave then the other one must have said the same thing. Instead he smiled and clapped his best friend on the back, "Let's get going, waiting here isn't going to figure anything else out."

Sam took the journal back from Jet; feeling like it was a bit of a victory despite the other male not really trying to hold onto it. "Jet's right, we should get going."

With that they chose a world that looked like it was in most need of help, Dean sent Sam and Jet in first, pausing for a moment to look at Castiel. "So, about all of this-"

Cas' cheeks were flushed as he leaned in and stole a kiss, "Later." He whispered before disappearing into the world portal. Dean smiled and touched his lips for a second, following his partner inside.

* * *

**Fallout**

Jet groaned, rubbing his hand over his head and sat up from the rubble he'd so gracelessly hurdled into. "That could have been so much smoother." He muttered, looking around at his immediate surroundings. It reminded him instantly of the first world, post apocalyptic down to the slightest imperfection, maybe even better. The word wasteland came to mind as he slowly pulled himself up, seeing the desolation all around him.

And it wasn't just that there were destroyed buildings, there was  _no life_  anywhere, not even plants. In the last one there was greenery everywhere, like a monster had wreaked havoc or something, but this place looked like a nuke had gone off. Jet bitterly chuckled to himself, not too eager to find out if he were right.

He took a step to realize that what he was standing on wasn't a ground covered in a lot of garbage, it was a rooftop, and it wasn't particularly stable. He felt the surface give a little beneath his weight and heard the creak of what should be a decent structure. Jet moved to the edge of the building where the wall would at least add a little bit of stability, glancing down to see that he wasn't exactly close to the ground. It looked like he must have been on top of a mall or something because it was a straight drop to pavement below.

"Fucking perfect…" he growled to himself, at least a little relieved that he wasn't with just Sam again, he wasn't sure how he'd get out of that situation cleanly, let alone Dean's little brother. Though he wouldn't have minded one of the super powered priests to be there, Cas would probably just jump off the roof without a second thought. Dean would probably hesitate but it'd result in the same 'I'm superman and nothing hurts me' landing. Jet mentally cursed them both as he lowered himself over the edge, his foot catching and holding on a broken part of the wall. He grit his teeth and started fumbling his way down the decrepit building, finding that it being in pieces was more of a help than he thought it'd be.

The climb was straining but he made it down okay, dropping the last ten feet because there was absolutely nothing to hold onto. Jet rolled when he hit the ground and paused to curse a few times before moving to get to his feet. He heard the strangest sound; he might've thought it was a cow or something if he hadn't seen the thing. It looked like a sort of cow alright but it had two friggin' heads, had looked like it'd been skinned in some parts while the rest probably had a horrendous skin disease.

And it didn't look too happy to see him.

It charged, all 1600 pounds of it. Jet rushed to his feet but it didn't matter, the sound of heavy gunfire thundered and the mutated beast screeched before collapsing to the ground. Jet gasped out what was left in his lungs, his eyes opened wide and frantic as he stared at the thing that just about flattened him. "The fuck was that thing!?" He shouted as he turned his head, coming face to face with the barrel of what looked like a heavy artillery rifle.

"It was a Brahmin, you fuckin' idiot." Jet heard his own voice from the man standing above him and knew instantly he'd run into his counterpart in the world. He would have said something in return but the end of the rifle connected with his head seconds later, Jet couldn't exactly see straight. The second blow knocked him out cold.

"Son of a bitch… It's me…?" The conscious Jet muttered after tapping at the other's limp body with his boot. "What the fuck…"

"Don't know." His usually quiet comrade replied, Longshot's hand on his rifle casually ready to shoot the doppelganger if necessary.

"See, it's times like this that I wish we had some long-distance communications or something." Jet grumbled as he heft the cleaner, younger looking man onto his shoulder. "He even smells like soap. This is freaking weird."

The two walked to the road together before Longshot finally responded, "You remember what soap smells like?"

* * *

Dean looked around and smiled when he saw Sam standing next to him, at least he was with someone this time. "Well looks like it's you and me."

Sam smirked, "I guess. But… what are we looking at here? It's a mess."

"Yeah…" Dean wanted to cover his mouth, the place smelled awful and he really didn't want to know the source of it. "Looks like another apocalypse?"

"I'd say man-made this time. No demons or satan involved here…" Sam tried to take it all in, the ruins, the dusty rubble, destruction and pools of murky water.

"I wouldn't be so sure," It was Castiel's voice but it wasn't anywhere close to friendly, he sounded ready to kill. Dean was about to turn around when he felt the cold steel of a gun against the back of his head. "Don't."

"Cas? Hey, don't shoot."

"I've shot people who have groveled a lot more than that." Cas snarled, shoving the barrel harder against Dean's head. It was strange; the idea of a gun had never lost the feeling of terror that went with it. The thing could still kill, that was probably the part that was most frightening. "Who are you?"

"Dean, this is Sam."

"I mean really." The way he snapped out the words was vicious, like there was no form of a bluff involved.

Dean was about to answer again when the Castiel behind him grabbed his shoulder and roughly spun him around to stare him in the face. And did Dean ever stare. There was something radioactive about the blue in this Castiel's eyes, it was colder than he'd ever seen it and angrier than he thought they could get. "What happened to you?" He nearly whispered the question but Cas stepped back all the same. It was a strange thing to ask and normally worth being shot over but the way he'd said it, like he knew Cas was supposed to be something different, really struck home.

"You aren't Dean," Cas retorted without actually responding, "Where are you from? Did someone make you?"

"Another world," Sam answered first, turning around to look at the striking form of Castiel geared for a fight. He had a weapon strapped to each limb above and below a joint, several on his hips and larger rifles on his back. The question to be asked was 'how the hell can you carry that much without falling over?' But Sam refrained. Instead he did his best not to look at the things that might put a hole in his skull. "We're travellers, there are two others with us-"

"Travellers through other worlds?" Cas sneered, damn near mocking them. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. Why the hell are you here?"

"There's something messing up your world," Dean spoken next, he wasn't quite used to Sam being the one to answer things, then again it'd been a while since it'd been just the two of them.

"You don't fucking say!?" Cas smacked Dean with the side of his rifle, "Tell me something I don't know, dipshit. Everything's messing this goddamn place up. So  _why_  are you here?"

"There's something bigger than your used to dealing with, something you can't touch, can't shoot, that's doing things that don't make any logical or scientific sense to anyone. Am I close? Or haven't you been the one to experience it yet?" Dean snarled back, tired of being shoved around by this guy. A Castiel or not he couldn't go around smacking him on the head with a gun, Dean wasn't just going to sit there and let him. "Judging by the distrust on your face I'd say you haven't seen it, which means we're either early or you're not important. Now stop aiming that gun at me and take us to where you and the others live."

The two stared at one another long and hard, Dean held strong and refused to back down against Castiel's glare. It was intense, felt like hours before the raider finally stepped back and let out a soft scoffing noise, "Alright, you've got some guts in you I suppose I could show you." He turned and started away, "Do anything stupid, and I mean  _anything_ , and I shoot you both. Understood?"

"Got it." Sam exhaled through the anxiety, shoving Dean's arm a little as he stood up.

"Yeah," Dean agreed begrudgingly, following after Castiel's lead. It was a little strange, this Cas was also wearing a trench coat but it was older, ratty and battle worn, and probably not magically hiding a combination weapon. "So you've been through a lot, huh?"

"Asking stupid questions counts as doing something stupid." Castiel called over his shoulder, which basically shut the Winchesters up as they trailed along behind him.

Dean figured calling the guy a bitch counted as stupid too so he kept it to himself.


	30. Fallout: Ghouls and Leaders

_Fragments of Memories_

_Dean ran a hand through Castiel's hair and let it linger a few seconds, "You look amazing," he whispered._

_"And you're messing up my hair," Cas chuckled, reaching up and lowering Dean's hand again. "But thank you, you're pretty fantastic yourself." Their voices were kept very low so as not to disturb the man before them as he read out the long speech that was tradition at every wedding._

_"The couple has decided they'd like to say something as the final 'I do's'." The priest smiled at them and gave a gesture to indicate they had the spotlight._

_Cas squeezed Dean's hands reassuringly before his fiancé turned to face the room full of friends and family, "I guess I'd just like to start by saying that Sam would have loved to be here for this. In a way I have him to thank for everything I have today, Cas included. He was the one who urged our relationship to start and he was the one who begged Cas to stay with me even when I tried to push him away... I owe Sam so much for being a blessing and bringing such an amazing person to me. Castiel, I owe you my life and there is nothing I can do to repay you for the kindness and patience you've shown me. I hope you'll be at my side until the day I die."_

_Castiel wiped his eyes and nodded, "I love you Dean, I will be there as long as you need me." he wept softly, "I wanted to thank you for brightening my life, for letting me into your family even though everything was so hard for you. I wish I could say I had been perfect for you but you're right, without Sam we wouldn't be here right now. And after everything we've been through I want you to know I'm so very proud to be a Winchester, finally. I wish Sam were here to see us in person, but I know he's watching from heaven. I'd like to thank him as well, for demanding you bring me a fruit basket, for insisting I come over for dinner every night and stay over on weekends. He gave you to me as much as he gave me to you, I don't know where I'd be with you."_

_"I love you too, Castiel, and I will be in your life for the rest of eternity." Dean pulled Castiel closer, their eyes never losing contact._

_"You may now kiss your spouse."_

* * *

**Fallout Part 2**

Stepping free from the mainline Castiel sighed heavily, knowing immediately that he was alone. "Goddamn it... If the three of them are together I'm going to throw something." He grumbled as he started to look around. The building he was in was run down, decrepit and possibly falling apart; he didn't want to push against any structurally important walls to find out. It looked a grocery store of some kind, though all the shelves were entirely empty. As well, among the rubble and debris there were corpses of humans, mutated humans, and some monsters he couldn't identify.  _'Lovely, this reality has monsters normally. It's going to be ridiculous trying to explain this to anyone if we have to...'_

As Castiel roamed for an exit he heard footsteps and voices, none of which sounded familiar from where he was. He pressed himself against a wall and listened closer, Cas thought maybe one of them might be a Sam, but the strange, gruff sounding one was entirely foreign.

"I'm telling you someone's raided this one already," The one who sounded like Sam grumbled as they got closer.

"Shut it, Sammy, I know what it looks like but I'm telling you there's something else here." Cas at least got confirmation on the one being Sam. The other one still sounded like he was gargling water as he spoke, with a seriously sore throat or something.

Considering the area and dead bodies Cas figured he'd be shot at first and spoken to afterward if he didn't make himself known right away. "Hey," He called out loud enough for them to hear.

"Is that Cas?" Sam asked.

"Sounds like him."

Castiel listened as the footsteps came closer and a half broken door was kicked open. He looked up and first smiled at Sam, then saw the thing walking with him. Its skin was deteriorated to the point that it looked more like a zombie than anything, decomposing while still walking around and talking. Its hair had fallen out in patches and any skin that was still left was discoloured. Cas' eyes widened and fear gripped him the thing looked up. He'd never mistake that face, even if it were dead and disintegrating; that was Dean. "Oh my god..." He choked the words out, his hand coming up to cover his mouth as his stomach twisted and threatened to loose anything he'd eaten.

Dean growled low and stalked forward with his gun up, "That's not Cas."

"Dean, calm down," Sam stepped ahead of him and forced his gun lower. "I... I think that thing you were talking about is him."

"It definitely wasn't but if you wanna talk to him don't blame me if you get shot." That voice was so rough; Cas figured he knew why now.

Sam nodded his appreciation and went to approach Castiel with his hands up, "We can tell you aren't the Castiel we know, where are you from? What are you?"

"I'm a High Priest of The Faith," Castiel didn't know what else to say, he was still in too much shock about Dean's appearance and state to really think about anything else. "I've been tasked with travelling through different dimensions, realities, and timelines in an attempts to liberate them from a threat."

Sam glanced back at Dean who looked a little less pissed off, "See? Sounds important." He turned to Cas again and motioned for him to follow, "I think we should get the full story somewhere safer, come with us."

"I..." Castiel swallowed past the lump in his throat, he never thought he'd be physically face to face with a decomposed Dean. He'd seen it in his nightmares too many times but now it was right in front of him. 'That's not Dean, that's not your Dean, it's okay.' He reminded himself, "Yes, if you don't mind. I'm with three others, a Dean, Sam, and Jet."

"Sounds about right," Dean chuckled, shouldering his gun and heading for the exit, "C'mon, let's meet up with Cas and Jet, I wonder if they found anything interesting on their run."

Sam nodded and followed his brother out. He wasn't new to running around the Capitol Wastelands but he wasn't experienced in raiding like Dean was, following his big brother was probably the best option at that time.

"What happened here?" Castiel asked as they exited the building, everything looked so desolate it was kind of disturbing.

"From what I remember reading as a kid," Sam glanced over at Dean, they both knew that readings Sam was speaking of weren't entirely reliable, "And what I've gathered since then, there was something called The Great War over 200 years ago. It started and ended October 23, 2077 and lasted approximately 2 hours when all nuclear capable countries launched their weapons. A nuclear warhead and an atomic bomb were the last things dropped, ever since the world has been in a nuclear holocaust."

"You know quite a bit from when you were a kid until now, did someone keep track of this information?" Cas was pretty shocked to hear it and at a loss for words. He figured there'd be a reality where that had happened but to actually be in it was breathtakingly awful.

"Gathered from all over the place," Sam replied, smiling back at him. "I like to know things like history, used to be the teacher of a small town."

"Little Lamplight, you were like 14 teaching other little kids." Dean added, "Isn't actually as impressive as you make it sound."

Cas chuckled; glad to see that even post apocalyptic world Sam and Dean could argue like brothers. "And... Dean?" He fidgeted and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for reacting to you that way..."

"It's alright, I'm used to it." Dean shrugged, "Mostly, anyway. I was more upset that someone might be impersonating Cas."

"He's important to you?"

"Best thing that ever happened to me, and the worst." Dean chuckled and glanced over at Sam who shrugged in return. "Cas spared my life, took me in when he had no reason to, and then saved my ass more times than I can count. Granted I saved him too, but it doesn't seem like the same thing."

"To be fair, Cas is a hard-ass, cold killing machine." Sam pointed out as they trekked across the wasteland with few qualms about what they stepped on or what they passed. "He's mean and has a hell of a temper, so I think putting up with him half the time is pay back enough."

"Watch it, Sammy." Dean warned, looking at his little brother again. They seemed so much harder and colder, like Sam had said about the other Castiel. It was sad to see, really. Cas couldn't wait to get back to his friends.

Which was also extremely odd for him, he had spent centuries alone, had grown frigid to others as well and yet here he was now; wishing he could see his friends. His heart skipped every time he saw Dean, his partner and friend; there was more to their relationship now though he had no idea what. There was Sam who he'd love as his family no matter what. Cas had a soft spot for Sam's; he'd never hurt one if he had a choice in the matter. And then of course Jet had somehow weaseled his way into Cas' stubborn heart. He was charming in his own way, kind of funny when he wanted to be and had his uses. Castiel had never known a Jet back in his own world but he'd met several along the way and it was kind of nice to see that someone else was consistent in personality.

"So what kind of establishment is set up, if this is a nuclear holocaust?" He knew he'd need to ask questions about things to know what was normal before he jumped at every little oddity he ran into.

"It started off as a safe haven for ex-slaves at Lincoln Memorial," Dean was the one to answer; his voice still gave Cas shivers. "But the past few months have been a bit weird, a lot of people have come in from wandering around in the Capital Wasteland looking for help. We're more like a small town now, armed to the teeth and under the command of a very capable leader."

"Who's your leader?"

"Jet," Dean smirked back at him, "You said you know one, right?"

"I… I do…" Cas had no words for what he was feeling. "Jet's your leader?"

"He's smart," Sam nodded, adjusting his weapon and checking around their immediate area for enemies. "He's always got a plan, running for supplies, battle strategies, figuring out how to get more money, et cetera. What gets people though is that he's both incredibly strong and kind. He used to be a slave along with most of the people from Lincoln Memorial; he rallied the people together and warred against the largest group of slavers around. Jet's a great guy."

Cas nodded a little, his face expressing the phrase 'not bad' as best it could without him actually saying it. "It's weird…"

"Why's that?" Dean sounded a bit defensive; evidently he was a good friend with Jet in this reality as well.

"Well the Jet I know is a bit of a moron." Castiel chuckled.

"That is weird." Both Winchesters agreed simultaneous.

"So how far are we walking here?"

Sam shrugged and looked at his map, "I'd say… half a day maybe? Depends on our pace."

Cas sighed heavily but didn't complain out loud, he could tell when he was in the company of no-nonsense people like himself. He almost hated how much the others had rubbed off on him, joking around all the time and laughing. It made him look stupid in front of people like these.  _'And when were you so concerned about how you looked to others?'_  He thought dismally to himself.

* * *

Jet was the first to make it back to Lincoln Memorial, his unconscious other self chained up and being dragged behind him. He and his right hand man Longshot had taken a caravan out to collect supplies for the growing population, Longshot got to sit in the caravan as it rolled along, drawn by tame Brahmin. Jet on the other hand walked along beside it, watching the chain to make sure it was still tied to the back of their caravan. The town opened up to him gratefully, people were excited to see him so soon with supplies and more importantly decent food. Jet greeted them all as they came to him, some informing him that a few more people had arrived from the wasteland, others thanking him, and of course the ones who had complaints.

All in all it was pretty normal for him aside from the dead weight attached to their supply run. "Someone tie him up outside our zone and question him, okay?" He asked a couple of his people who hadn't been tasked with doing much of anything, handing over the chain to the biggest one. "I know it's really weird, just get what you can out of him."

"Yes sir," The two replied happily, more than excited to do something for Jet that seemed important.

"They're pretty gung-ho…" Longshot muttered.

"It's been a while since we've done anything more than supply runs, people are getting anxious. I guess they feel like things have gone too well for us." Jet stretched his arms and cracked his back, "That and those two haven't quite been pulling their weight. Anyway, time to unload this crap, c'mon people!"


	31. Fallout: Injured Friends

**Fallout Part 3**

Jet groaned and immediately tried to bring a hand to his face, only to find he was bound and unable to move freely. "What the hell?" He looked around a little deliriously, his head swimming from the blows he'd taken. He could remember going to the next world and being alone but he was having trouble remember exactly why he had been unconscious. "What happened to that mutant cow thing?"

He didn't get an answer but he did hear people approaching, someone saying something about 'he's awake'. "This can't be good…" Jet muttered when he saw the heavy artillery the guys were carrying, big guns, little guns, knives, bats and one of them seemed to have some kind of metal knuckle on.

"What are you?" The question was gruffly asked and more threatening than curious.

"Human." Jet never did well with this kind of thing.

"Why do you look like Jet?"

"Because I am Jet- Listen, you gotta ask better questions than this, they're kind of hard to answer properly." Jet knew his smart mouth would get him hit again, and it did. He took a solid kick to the stomach for that one. "Shit… You guys aren't playing around, huh?"

The bigger guy grabbed a fistful of hair and forced Jet's head up to look him in the eye. Not that Jet wouldn't have, but this dude apparently needed a show of dominance. Their faces were so close he could smell the guy's breath, another intimidation tactic he'd wager. "Why do you look like Jet? Where are you from? Who sent you here?"

Jet chuckled and pushed his head up against the guy's hand to try and loosen the grip he had on his hair. "I'm from another dimension, I'm here with three others who are probably duplicates of people you know named Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, and Castiel."

"You know the blue-eyed monster?" The other interrogator asked, his tone so much less intimidating than his partner that it nearly made Jet laugh.

"When you say 'blue eyed monster' I'm assuming you mean Cas? I do know a Cas, yeah. He also has blue eyes but he's no monster, he's a High priest of whatever. Big to-do upstairs, if you know what I mean."

"I don't." The gruff one snarled into his face again, dragging his head up more.

"You either hate the Jet that you know," Jet murmured, trying to sound like hair pulling didn't bother him, "Or you have some kind of crush on the guy. Either way, I really hope you aren't getting off on seeing me like this."

His close-and-personal interrogator dropped him after that one, giving a good punch to the gut with his metal knuckle. Jet wheezed and coughed in response, his body wanting to curl in on itself though he was bound too tightly for that. It was a weird position to be in, there were stakes in the ground to chain his legs down while his arms were behind his back around what he figured was a flagpole. He had a bit of wiggle room but not much, not enough to shield his stomach from any further hits.

"You son of a bitch…" He growled, "When they come to untie me you're the first fucker I'm going to hit."

"Not too scared of you, little man."

"No, but you are a little." Jet smirked, he wasn't sure what reputation his other self had but apparently it was pretty epic to get guys as tough as that to fear him.

"Little shit, I'm gonna ground you into the dirt-"

"Hey, he gave us answers we should report it." The other one tried to stop his partner though the big guy would have none of it.

"Back off, I'm going to teach this bastard a lesson first." The guy wound up and cracked into Jet again; loving the pained noises it earned him.

"Man, come on, Jet'll be pissed if we do more than get answers."

"Screw 'im! If he wanted it done a certain way he'd have come here to do it himself." He wound up again this time his partner catching his arm.

"He's trusting us to do it right, this is a big deal. We've barely done anything to help and now he's given us a job, just do what's necessary and then leave it at that."

"How do you know he doesn't want us to beat this imposter to a pulp? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want anyone tarnishing his rep." The big guy pulled away and grabbed Jet by the hair again, expecting to see distress or at least a little bit of pained tears. He was expecting begging but all he got was a steady stare, Jet wasn't wincing or snarling or anything, just staring at his abuser.

"Do it." Jet said evenly.

"Fucker…" The interrogator clenched his fist, "You mocking me?"

"I said, 'do it'." Jet said again, "Let's see how this ends."

The guy shouted and started beating into his captive, not letting up even when his partner tried to get his attention. "You little fuck! Stop staring at me like you're him! You're some imposter, you're not as strong so why aren't you breaking!?" He hollered loud enough that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching from behind him, or the sound of a cocked rifle until it was too late. He felt cold steel against his skull which shut him up long enough to hear the blue-eyed monster's voice.

"You're lower than dirt, you piece of shit." Castiel hissed before pulling the trigger in cold blood, the bullet going right through his target and barely missing Jet's own head.

"Jet!" Dean shouted and booked it to his friend's side, "Man, are you okay? Jet? Look at me," he tried to nudge Jet's face but his head only lolled to one side. Jet was unconscious, his face beaten and bloody along with the rest of his torso. His attacker hadn't quite focused on anything specific in a fit of rage, thankfully for Jet's sake. "Man…" Dean swallowed past a growing lump in his throat; he didn't know what to do. Cas healed quickly, he healed quickly, but Sam and Jet hadn't been injured yet. He had no idea how to fix this, the magic he'd learned didn't come with healing as far as he knew, it was all catered to the Void creatures.

"Untie him," Castiel looked at the terrified ex-slave menacingly, "or I'll shoot you too."

"Right away, sir." The smaller guy went and fumbled with the lock on Jet's wrists first, allowing Dean a better angle to hold him. "I'm sorry, I couldn't stop him."

Dean glared at him at first but realized that this guy was just a kid, a teenager at the youngest. "It's… it's okay. He's pretty tough."

"Yeah, he's Jet." The guy replied sheepishly after unfastening the rope from Jet's ankles.

"Glad to know this isn't the Jet from this reality," Castiel shrugged and started toward the entrance, "Get him to medical, I'll come by to question you more later."

Sam nodded though he was pretty surprised they were granted so much freedom so easily. Wasn't that the same guy that had them at gunpoint the whole way back? Maybe this was his way of saying he was sorry their friend was brutally assaulted by his allies, Sam decided. He looked back over at Dean who was awkwardly lifting Jet up and trying to carry him. Dean quickly discovered that Jet was larger and much heavier than Castiel; he couldn't carry him the same way.

"Need help?" Sam asked sadly.

"Yeah…" Dean grunted and lowered Jet down again, "Gotta figure out how to carry him…"

"Here, hold him up for a second," Sam had Dean attempt the bridal style carrying again except this time he intercepted and pulled Jet onto his back. Sam adjusted the weight a little and propped Jet's legs up under his arms, holding tightly to his friend's thighs to keep him in one place. "Alright, got him, let's find this medical place."

"I'll lead you," The fearful ex-slave piped in again, "It's the least I could do."

"Thanks squirt," Dean smiled and ruffled the teen's hair, "What's your name?"

"Tom."

"I'm Dean, that's Sam."

"I know who you are, but you look a lot better than I saw you last time, or, I guess the other you." The youth blinked a few times looking Dean over. "It's nice to see you not ghoulified."

" _Ghoulified_?" Dean made a face at that, not sure how to feel about it.

"Yeah, like a ghoul, you know, all decayed and dead lookin'."

Sam snickered, "Gross."

"Careful though," The boy warned, "Don't insult him or Cas'll shoot you dead."

"Cas is sleeping with a zombie?" Dean wasn't sure how twisted his face could get but he was pushing his luck.

"Yep, he's got a reputation for being real mean with a soft spot only for Dean. I guess it fits though; blue-eyed monster falls in love with a man who turns into a ghoul. They're a good match."

"That's just sick and wrong." Dean shook his head, hoping to get those comments out before he earned himself a bullet to the brain. "So is Cas always like that?"

"Sure is," Tom nodded, showing them through the somewhat cleared streets. The place looked damn near livable, though it was still a total disaster. "Castiel is known as the fiercest raider in all the Capital Wasteland. Raiders are already known to have nasty tempers, so that's normal. He's always kinda been rough around the edges, Sam says that he means well but doesn't know how to show it properly."

"Sounds like a peach." Dean muttered.

"I think I should check the journal soon," Sam sighed strained to speak normally though Jet's weight wasn't exactly easy on him. "See what we're up against here so we can get out as soon as possible."

"Yeah, this place doesn't exactly scream friendly, does it?" Dean said as he looked around them, every possible weak spot was guarded by someone with a gun and even then there were places where heavy weaponry like cannons were placed. "What do you need all this stuff for?"

"Mutants, monsters, raiders, slavers, super mutants, you name it." Tom opened the door of their medical clinic, "Bring him in here, I'm sure someone'll look at him right away. Remember to stay here after too, Cas said he'd come looking for you and he might get mad if you aren't where he said to go."

"Got it, thanks kid." Dean smiled and gave the teen a wave before he ran off. As much as Dean wanted to try and keep his attention off the fact that he wasn't sure if his best friend was okay, he didn't much care for the alternative topic of young teenagers running around interrogating with brutes like that last guy.

"Oh my gosh! Jet! Is he okay?" The nurse hurried over, clearly mistaking their Jet for the other one.

"Don't know, can you help him?" Sam asked anxiously, following her to a room to lie him down.

Dean remained in the entrance, frowning and turning back to the outside; they hadn't gone to a world that was immediately dangerous like this. He hadn't seen troubles with the people; it was always with the monsters from the void. Seeing it now, though, he was a little more aware of why Castiel was so distrusting the first time they'd met. He'd been travelling alone, he had no one to come up and save him if he got caught in anything.  _'Like that domus…'_  Dean thought dismally, unable to forget Castiel's own fears. He wasn't sure if it had ever settled in his mind, watching Sam die like that. It wasn't his Sam, but his Sam had been extremely sick for a period of time as well. That could just as easily have been his little brother that died.

But it wasn't. He reminded himself several times the thought came that Sam was alive and running around like everyone else. No, now wasn't the time to worry about Sam, though he really did want to. If something like this could happen to Jet it could happen to Sam. The first world they went to involved a Sam becoming Lucifer and being sealed away, if anyone had come across Sam alone that first time Dean wasn't sure his little brother would even be there anymore. So many circumstances and situations that could have turned out so differently if even the smallest thing had changed.

Dean hadn't considered how fickle and temperamental their lives could be, so easily brushed off with the slightest alteration. The other timeline that had been corrupted, he wondered if that happened because of one move that could have turned out differently? Maybe he'd stepped to the left and not the right and was hit by something that was meant to hit someone else or vice versa? What if he said something he shouldn't have or even ate something different? It was all so easily changed that he wasn't sure even having that journal would help them. In fact having the journal already altered everything so much that nothing it said anymore could really make a difference.

As much as he knew he was thinking too hard on the subject, he couldn't help it. Everything was so messy and giving him a headache that he really just wanted to take Castiel and lie down for a little while.

While Dean stood outside to get some fresh air and clear his head he noticed the raider Castiel approaching again, his cold gaze set on the medical building without seeing much else. At least, not until one of the young children in the area ran to him.

"Castle!" The little boy cried out, unable to say the raider's name or even run properly, his legs flailing forward faster as if he were running but he wasn't moving much quicker. He had a toy phone in his hand and was waving it as he 'ran'. "Castle, it's fo' yoo!"

Castiel stopped and looked down at the toddler, kneeling to reach him better, "Is it now?" He didn't smile as he took the phone though the child was beaming with joy. Castiel put the plastic toy to his ear and glanced toward it as he spoke, "Hello?"

Dean chuckled as he watched the scenario unfold, Castiel pretending to talk to some important higher up and then insisting that 'the president' wanted to speak to the little boy, an important mission for him. Once it was done Cas continued his trek to the steps of the building, about to pass Dean by when he spoke up, "No matter how big and bad you are, when a two year old hands you a toy phone, you answer it."

Cas smiled a little and went inside, "Shut up and get in here, Jet's on his way to talk to you as well."

Dean nodded, a little curious as to why the other Jet was important enough for Castiel to go and retrieve him. "He got something we need?"

"No, he's the leader of this place and I'd never hear the end of his bitching if I did this on my own." Cas sat down in the waiting room across from Sam, giving Dean the option to sit next to his brother or the easily angered raider. He chose his brother, of course, not too keen on playing with fire.

"Leader?" Sam smiled, "That's kind of cool, I always thought Jet could do something like that."

"You did?" Dean laughed, "I think we know a different Jet."

"He's different when he's with you, you guys are 'bros' or something." Sam shrugged and looked down at the floor, "He wasn't an idiot with me."

"You got a crush on him, Sam?" Dean joked, poking his little brother in the shoulder.

"No! Shut up, Dean." Sam pulled away and looked over to the medical doors, "I'm just worried about him."

"Uh huh, same way I'm 'just worried about Cas,' right?"

"It is nothing like that and you know it."

"Whatever."

"Shut up." Castiel growled.

"You got it, Castle." Dean grinned wildly when he earned himself a death glare from Cas.

"I'll kill you slowly."


	32. Fallout: In Jet's Head

_-"Baby, I get so scared inside and I don't really understand. Is it love that's on my mind or is it fantasy?"-_

* * *

**Fallout: Part 4**

"Heya, you're the ones claiming to be from another world?" The leader entered the medical building, not wasting any time as he did so. He gave a quick nod to Castiel; the raider stoically perched to watch the new comers.

"That's us," Dean stood and went to meet this alternate form of his best friend. It was so weird to see Jet this way, scars on his face, cold and calculating eyes, he was bigger physically and he was decked out to the nines with weapons. Seemed to be the norm for people in this world. "There's one other with us, he'll look like Cas here."

Jet raised an eyebrow at Dean, a small smile coming to his lips. "Alright… I've got absolutely no reason to trust you, you'll understand if we're a bit paranoid about this." He took a few steps around Dean, something about his expression spoke of nostalgia though no words were actually said.

"You  _owe_  us something!" Sam snapped suddenly and Dean couldn't believe this was coming from his little brother. "Your goons tied and beat our friend!"

"Beating him wasn't part of the order but I imagine it was necessary?" Jet responded coolly, taking another look to Castiel for confirmation.

"I can't say how necessary it was at the end, the man was unconscious when we arrived though the monkey you told to watch him was still pounding him." Castiel's answer was even and directly to the point, not intending to make anything up.

"I'm surprised," Dean smiled at Cas, "I thought you'd try and make your leader look good in front of us."

"He's not  _my_  leader," Castiel snarled at him, "He's an ally, I just happen to live here. It's convenient."

Jet chuckled, "Some people might say 'friend,' Cas. Hm?"

Castiel rolled his eyes and looked toward the door the nurse would come from.

"At any rate," Jet folded his arms over his chest and leaned back on his left foot, chewing thoughtfully on the inside of his cheek, "I hadn't thought my men would do that… the ones that did it, where are they?"

"I shot the one doing it, the other was one of the orphans from Little Lamplight, scrawny twerp couldn't do anything." Cas muttered.

"I see… Dean, right?"

"Yeah?" Dean was slightly ashamed at how quickly he responded to that.

Jet just smiled at him for it before his expression returned to 'leader-mode,' "Can you explain to me what you're doing here? Why the guy in that other room looks like me, and you two resemble my buddy and his little brother?"

Again, it was strange to hear it coming from someone who seemed so cold. Everyone in that world was like that; Dean made a mental note to hug his travelling companions when he got the chance to. "Okay, it's like this-"

"You can see him now," The nurse entered as she spoke, looking over at Sam specifically, the one who appeared most concerned. "We've done what we can."

"What does that mean?" Sam stood up, unsure of what to really do with himself, looking to Dean for some kind of answer.

"He hasn't woken up yet, but his injuries will heal."

"So he'll wake up eventually?"

"We hope so."

Sam wanted to argue but didn't have it in him. Instead he left the room, Dean right on his heels to see their friend.

The Union leader looked over at the raider, neither knowing what to say. They still needed proper answers though, so Jet followed them inside. He didn't say a word at first, watching the way the other two reacted instead.

Sam was biting his bottom lip and sitting at Jet's bedside, just looking at the beaten and unmoving form lying so limply. "It's… not right." He muttered.

"Sam," Dean put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "It'll be okay."

"No… I'll never un-see this." Sam looked at him angrily; his eyes wet and focused. "Jet's always been there and he's always been so strong. He's the one who gathered the money to pay for the hospital bills; he's the one who came to see me even though he didn't have to, and tried to make me laugh. He's the one who came to comfort me when you left to find Castiel even though I called at a ridiculous hour… Dean, Jet had no reason to come out here but he did because I refused to stay home. What if he doesn't wake up?"

"He will." Dean insisted strongly, his tone unchanging. "Jet's never let us down before, we still need him so he'll be here. He's just resting, okay? The guy went a few rounds with some asshole armed with a metal knuckle while he was chained down, give him a few hours to sleep it off."

Sam stared at him for a few seconds before nodding and looking away quickly. "Sorry… I… I wasn't expecting this. We've never had this happen to us because of the people before…"

"I know," Dean wished he hadn't realized the same thing. He still didn't know where Cas was and that was eating away at him.

"If he's anything like me I think he'll wake up." Jet spoke from the doorway, a half smile on his face.

Dean nodded, "Right, well I think we could at least explain to you what's going on."

* * *

_-"Heaven is in the palm of my hand and it's waiting here for you. What am I supposed to do with a childhood tragedy?"-_

* * *

Jet could hear them; he could hear every word and almost feel the light touch of Sam's hand resting on his. If he could just give his fingers a squeeze, reassure him that he was there, Jet would. But he couldn't move. He could hardly think straight and he found that more alarming than anything else. He'd been beaten senseless before, he knew what it felt like and how waking up was going to be. He'd never felt like he was floating in a limbo space like this, half awake and aware but unable to really focus.

He tried to speak but he couldn't move his mouth to form words. He did, however, manage to make the most pathetic sound with his vocal chords. Jet couldn't hear it right but judging from the way Sam's hand fluttered to his forehead, how it trembled there, he knew it was probably better not to make any noise at all.

' _How do I do this?'_  He struggled with himself, wanting to speak, wanting to think straight and wanting to move but nothing. Nothing until he realized he was separated from himself. He stepped away from his central senses; Jet realized he wasn't in control. He couldn't force himself to do anything because he wasn't actually there. Instead he watched from what felt like inside his own head, disconnected to his own motor functions.

' _What the actual fuck…'_  He thought as he looked around, the space was dark and reminiscent of the strange feeling he got when he looked into the Void from the mainline road. It was too similar to be anything else. He glanced around at the area around him, he couldn't see anything or hear anything, just the distant hints of the Winchesters in conscious-land. Just as he was starting to think he might be safe, he heard a low groaning echo from behind him.

' _OH! Son of a_ _ **bitch!**_ _'_  Jet cursed when he felt the rumble that followed.  _'You've got to be kidding me!?_ _ **I'm**_ _the freaking target this time? Fan-fucking-tastic…'_  He swallowed nervously and looked around, hoping to spot nothing and that this was the extent of the monster's ability. But when was his luck ever that good?

' _No big deal,_ ' He told himself,  _'Dean and Cas'll take care of it and I'll be fine.'_ But Cas was nowhere to be found and Dean and Sam thought he was just unconscious from getting his head smashed a few times. Jet's eyes widened when he realized it;  _'They have no idea…'_  He looked back toward what he somehow knew was the source of his senses, what was hearing the Winchesters, feeling the gentle touch, and attempting to make noise.  _'I have to tell them it's here. Fuck my life.'_

He went back to where he'd pulled away from the first time. He pushed his arms into the black, smokey space where they'd been embedded before. When he'd stepped back originally it was like walking away from a space fitted to his exact size, shape, every detail was spot on. He fit perfectly and it was where he was supposed to be, like whatever his subconscious was made of now had been carved out of his original mindset. He was supposed to be able to step right in and meld back into place, but he couldn't. He was trying to melt into himself and just take over, but  _it_  really wasn't intent on letting him. Whatever 'it' was; Jet didn't have a mental version of Castiel to give him names and shit like that though he really wouldn't mind a high priest popping in to help out a little.

That was when he received the luxury of meeting the beast face to face. The dark gaseous state the space had originally been in had shifted, it was more of a liquid but completely impermeable and unyielding. Jet pushed against it a few times until it pushed back, something morphing out of the proverbial wall in front of him. It was entirely black with no real shape, beady golden eyes staring at him and through him with what he could imagine was a sinister little grin. Jet stepped back again, furrowing his brow and attempting to shake the feeling of fear that was slipping in. He hadn't been this close to one of the void monsters, other than when Sam was possessed and even then he didn't really see anything but Sam. He couldn't think of anything but saving his best friends so now, when it was all about him, he didn't know what to do. His heart raced and limbs started to stiffen.

Its face drifted back into the wall where it had been, vanishing away like there was no real rule as to where it could be. The thing wasn't in front of him; it was all around him. The space he was in was his own mind but it was encompassed and coated in this dark, malleable thing. Jet exhaled slowly to calm himself down though he hadn't realized he'd needed it. "Fuck." He cursed and ran his hands into his hair, looking around at the way everything shifted and moved.

* * *

_-"If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain unchanged?"-_

* * *

"You think he'll be okay?" Sam muttered again, running a hand over Jet's forehead and into his hair. He'd made such a strangled sound before, it was alarming and discomforting and Sam just wanted to see him open his eyes and say 'punching me doesn't keep me down' or something stupid like that.

Dean nodded, "Yeah, Sam. He's had the shit kicked out of him before, he'll be fine."

"Not like this he hasn't…" Sam frowned and rested his hand on the top of Jet's head, just leaving it there absently.

Dean wasn't sure what else to say, they were sitting and waiting for the other Castiel and Jet to finish discussing what they thought was going on. They'd mentioned that their Sam and Dean were further out so they'd take about a day to return, meaning that his Cas was probably with them. As much as Dean was worried about Jet he knew his friend could handle a few punches, even if they were weaponized. But was that really what he should be worried about? He knew that Castiel had been doing this for centuries on his own, and he was fine because he was a high priest, strong, capable, magical and incredibly smart. Jet was a normal guy, as tough as he was he was still a normal guy.  _'I really should be more worried about you, shouldn't I?'_  He thought with a half smile at his friend's neutral expression. Somehow he still wasn't. Jet was the guy that always seemed to pull through even though everything said it was impossible. Granted he should have woken up by now, shouldn't he?

They sat together, quiet and waiting for something. The raider and Union leader had insisted that nothing 'extra' strange had been happening at their camp other than the arrival of body doubles. Dean could hear the movement of men around the grounds; everyone was geared up and ready just in case something  _did_  happen. It was good to be prepared, he supposed. Post-apocalyptic craziness seemed to be a thing around there.

Castiel returned after a few hours, not even giving a sympathetic glance toward Jet he prodded Dean's side with his rifle, "Winchester," his eyes were as cold as ever and he vaguely reminded Dean of the first time he'd met his Cas. It'd been impossible to weasel under his hardened skin, Cas had been so cold toward him and angry and this guy was exactly the same. He was hurting; Dean realized it now after unraveling the mystery of his own Cas. Somewhere under all that rage this Castiel was struggling with himself and a lot of other things. But how could he not? Look at where he lived.

"Yeah?" Dean finally answered after receiving a stern glare, "What's up?"

"They sent someone to collect our wayward brothers, see if your priest is there with them. If he is we'll be asking him more about these void monsters, since you don't seem to know much."

"Good call, Cas has been at this a long time." Dean nodded and relaxed a bit, glad to hear that they'd be at least bringing his partner back to him.

In the following moments Dean couldn't really begin to explain what happened. Jet's body convulsed and he arched against the bed, his shoulders digging down and his head tilting back hard. He screamed as he slammed back down, arms lashing out suddenly and catching hold of Sam's shirt.

"Sam!" Dean thought he'd been hit but instead Jet had pulled himself up toward the younger Winchester.

Sam stared down at terrified eyes, he could tell Jet wanted to speak, to scream again or say something but somehow it wasn't working for him. "Jet?" Sam managed to croak out, "It's okay, you're safe." He didn't know what was happening or what he should say but if Jet was disoriented from the beating then he needed to know he was okay.

Jet shook his head and Sam could see the consciousness fleeting in his eyes, back and forth like a wave, like he was fighting so hard to stay awake.

Dean went to his friend's side and put a hand on his shoulder, "Jet, man, you're alright. Just get some sleep okay? You'll feel better when you wake up."

"No." Jet's voice was so soft and distant and he sounded more scared than Sam or Dean had ever heard. He tried to say something more but his body fell limp again, the word vanishing with his consciousness and hanging in the air.

"What… what was that?" Dean gasped out, turning Jet's head to lie flat, immediately trying to move him into a less twisted position and get him comfortable.

Sam was too surprised, Jet's fingers still hooked into his shirt and weighing him down slightly. "I… I don't know. What was he trying to say?"

"Help." Castiel replied so nonchalantly you might think he'd said something as simple as chocolate milk. "He was asking for help."

Dean snapped his gaze back to Jet's face, it looked so much less neutral now, the remnants of his terror still lingering there. "What's happening to you?"

* * *

_-"If I close my eyes forever, will it all remain the same?"-_


	33. Fallout: The Waiting Game

_-"Sometimes, it's hard to hold on, so hard to hold onto my dreams."-_

* * *

**Fallout: Part 5**

Jet pushed past his fear, past the screaming part of his brain that told him not to go near this thing. He needed to warn them, he needed to tell them that it wasn't safe. He had no idea what this thing was capable of, how easily it could reach out past his body and hurt the ones who would indefinitely sleep at his bedside. He cursed several times when it forced him back but on the fourth attempt he felt control again, he'd pulled the monster thin enough in that spot to be able to reach his motor functions again.

Everything was blurry and he could feel the monster scratching at his mind, pulling him and trying to drag him away. His back was turned to it so he couldn't see it but he felt the stabs of pain that shook him. He remembered screaming, or thinking he was screaming he couldn't really tell what was happening. But that didn't matter because he could see something other than black, the dimly lit room that must have been an infirmary. He tried to move and nothing reacted properly, he felt like a fish out of water. He could see Sam right next to him and tried to grab his shirt, something.

Jet got lucky; he managed enough function through the pain to pull himself to Sam. He tried immediately to speak but he felt the disconnection again, fazing in and out and disrupting him. He couldn't even bring himself to breathe properly, was this it? Was this all he could do? Jet strained to push again but the monster was starting to encase him, he could feel the space of his mind again like he was just pressed against a wall trying to get someone to hear him.

"It's okay, you're safe." Sam had said what he'd been scared to hear. They had absolutely no idea; they didn't know that everyone in that room might be in danger. He pushed again and tried to scream that Sam was wrong but it wasn't coming.

" _ **NO!"**_  He hurt himself trying to shout as loud as he could but all that his body managed to do was look scared, Jet cried out in frustration against the dark substance trying to take over again. He shook his head and beat on the wall, tearing some of it away to get back in there. He could hear Dean talking now, trying to tell him to sleep or some bullshit. He wanted to say more, he needed to but he just couldn't through to them. "No…" He whimpered defeated as the creature's malleable body crept up around the sides of his head, "Help me."

* * *

_-"It isn't always what it seems when you're face to face with me"-_

* * *

Daylight came and went and all that Sam and Dean had to show for it were sore backs from sleeping on shitty furniture. Dean had seen several different people come and go, the infirmary saw more bloody patients than anyone else and he had to wonder why that was. He was told that there were land mines all over the place, especially on the roads and anyone who wandered out and didn't pay attention was attacked by mutants or raiders. Dean wanted to get out of that reality any time, he hated the thought of accidentally walking into something like that. He'd seen Castiel, that guy was considered a top raider and he looked like a tough little piece as it was. Vicious, angry, and the worst kind of person.

Jet hadn't woken up again and the other Jet came by every now and then if he wasn't busy. It was a long day and Dean was getting antsy. What if his Cas had stepped on a landmine? Were the people he was travelling with kind? Would they carry him back or leave him there to die? What if he hadn't even come across the other Sam and Dean or he had and they just shot him for not being the same Castiel? Dean was worrying himself sick and it really didn't help that Sam was looking just as awful while trying to figure out what was wrong with Jet.

"This isn't like him… Something's really wrong, Dean. Why would he have asked for help?"

"We don't know that's what he was going to say." Dean pointed out, "Calm down."

"But Cas said he was trying to say help." Sam insisted, looking over at Dean angrily. "You can't tell me that doesn't count for something?"

"He heard the same gasp we heard, he's just guessing. It doesn't mean Jet was asking for help and even if he was maybe he's just scared."

"Jet doesn't get scared." Sam looked back the guy he'd been nursing, trying to forget the fear he did see. He didn't want to believe that Jet was afraid.

"Even Jet gets scared, Sammy. Hell, especially him. Do you know how often he worried about us? About you? When you were sick he'd stop by all the time, whenever he had a chance he'd go up and see you. Most of the time you were sleeping so I doubt you remember."

Sam remembered, it had only been a year ago and really it was the saddest thing he could have tried to think of at that moment. He couldn't forget the times the door opened so quietly it was unnatural, or the heavier footsteps that were slowed to ease the sound they made on the floor. But mostly it was the hand on his forehead, checking his fever and brushing stray hairs away. Dean had always said something, he'd always let Sam know he was there, but Jet never did. He just walked in, checked on him silently and walked out. "That's worrying, fear is different."

"He was terrified that I'd lose you, that we'd both lose you. He was scared I'd lose myself or work myself to the ground. He was scared, Sam. Don't ever take that away from him or think he's some kind of machine because he's not."

Sam was quiet before nodding, "I know… I know who he is, Dean, I just don't want to think that he's scared right now. There's nothing I can do for him."

Dean watched his brother's face for a few seconds, not sure what to say so instead he nodded silently and fiddled with the unimagined stick of his weapon for a few moments. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"What?"

"How you feel about him." Dean shrugged and looked up at the complete shock on Sam's face. But that wasn't all he saw, there was some kind of dark form coming out of Jet and reaching up for Sam who had been staring at him instead of looking at Jet.

"Dean, I don't-" It grabbed Sam by the face and pulled back, his entire body jerking forward but not able to out match the strength of his assailant.

"SAMMY!" Dean lunged forward and caught his brother's hand but it made no difference other than saving his body from hitting the floor. He watched the strange form take something from Sam; something slipped away and turned off his eyes like a light. Life faded instantly and he crumpled onto the infirmary bed, his hand still in Dean's. "Sam? Sam!" Dean grabbed his brother's shoulders and shook him, gently at first then harder to try and snap him out of it. But there was nothing, no reaction, not even a muscle spasm. Sam wasn't there anymore.

Dean looked at Jet's still form and felt his mouth go dry; his friend was trying to warn them. Something was wrong and Jet wanted to tell him. "Fuck… CAS!" He stood and ran out of the room; leaving his brother and best friend in a state he had no idea how to help with. Knowing magic didn't mean he knew what he was supposed to with it, what was happening or any of that. It all came with experience and Dean didn't know even a quarter of the things that Cas did.

"What are you shouting about?" Castiel looked over when Dean stumbled out of the building, getting his attention but an immediate distressed expression to accompany it.

"Not you." Dean frowned and looked around, "Are they here? Is he with them?"

"They're not here so I don't know." Cas sighed; sounding entirely inconvenienced by what was happening which only pissed Dean off more.

"Listen," Dean snapped and stalked over to the raider until they were face to face, "I don't give a shit if you don't care what's happening to us but I would appreciate it if you didn't sound like we were ruining your life every time you speak."

"Oh? And what do you plan to do about it?" Cas steeled his eyes Dean's way and pushed against him right back, "I don't see a weapon in your hand."

"That's because you don't know what it is," Dean nudged Castiel's belly with the blunt stick he hadn't formed into anything yet, "I'm a dimension travelling high priest that's been all over different worlds and realities and have fought a number of monsters you've never heard of. You really wanna take the chance that I can't think a word that'll blow you apart?"

Castiel didn't move for the longest time, their eyes glaring holes into one another until he finally let up. "Dean's dog ran out an hour ago, he usually only does that when Dean's nearby so they should be here soon."

"Thank you." Dean stepped away and looked back at the medical building, "I found the void creature, it's in my friend."

Cas followed his gaze and shook his head; "I can't help you with that,"

"I know. I can't help either, I need my Cas." Dean liked the sound of that 'my Cas.' He wanted Castiel back, they'd had a moment, they'd been so close and he could almost bring himself to ask but Castiel said they'd talk about it later. He'd never been so afraid that a 'later' would never come. To walk into a new world and find a friend in such a bad condition, he hadn't been aware that they could be really hurt by anything other than the void. That somehow the laws of the world didn't apply to them anymore, when someone from a different reality aimed a gun at him it wouldn't matter. And maybe it didn't but it still mattered if Sam or Jet were injured.

And now they were both unconscious, locked down in some weird way that Dean couldn't fix.

"Well if he's with my Dean then they should be here in a few hours."

"Hours!?" Dean snapped back to look at Castiel who started away from him. "You said the dog ran off when they were nearby!"

"Dogmeat has a great nose, can sniff Dean out from miles and miles away. It means they're closer than we thought so be happy." Still sounding cold but a little less, maybe he cared to some extent.

Dean stared after the raider's retreating back for a few seconds before running his hands down his face in frustration. He had to just sit and wait, watch the unconscious forms of his brother and best friend and wait. "Lovely…" He groaned, "And who names their dog Dogmeat anyway!?"

* * *

_-"Like a dagger, you stick me in the heart, and taste the blood from my blade."-_

* * *

"Dean, something's approaching." Sam warned as they trekked through the dark, his eyes squinting slightly to see it better.

"I see him," Dean smiled and walked ahead, "And I know who it is, too. Hey there boy!" He called in that voice that made Castiel shudder. They'd travelled together for a day or so already and it was just so disturbing for him to hear. All the nightmares he'd ever had about it and now he was literally walking beside Dean as a corpse and somehow he was supposed to just be okay with it.

Cas would give himself a pat on the back; really, because he hadn't done anything he'd regret or get shot for. Another thing that was weird was seeing a dog run up to Dean and lick him, wag its tail and generally be excited about things. Definitely strange to see but Cas didn't really mention how odd. Instead he smiled like Sam and continued walking.

"You have a dog?" He asked as they passed Dean by.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled and pet the large husky before moving to catch up again. "Name's Dogmeat."

Dogmeat, on the other hand, went behind Cas and sniffed his backside, prodding him forward as he did so. Cas, startled, looked back at the overgrown puppy with some disturbance. "He… thinks I'm the other Castiel?"

"Probably," Dean smiled and whistled for Dogmeat to return to him. The dog did so quite obediently which surprised Castiel. He remembered his husband well enough, that guy could only take care of machines and was entirely useless when it came to animals. They never listened to him and when he honestly tried they actually seemed to outright reject him. But not this Dean, he found a little niche and a capability that the others didn't seem to discover.

"I have a theory," Castiel decided to say out loud, getting both Winchesters to look at him, "The Dean's I know have all bee overly macho men who grew up constantly taking care of someone, even in their older years when that someone didn't necessarily need it. Dean, did you take care of a lot of people growing up?"

"Yeah?"

"Alright, but when you were older did you still take care of someone?"

"No, I… I ran into Cas and he took care of me." Dean wasn't sure why he was admitting this to a stranger but it was a Castiel, and this Castiel seemed more open and kind so it couldn't have been that big of a mystery. "The world I grew up in was different than the outside, reality was a bit rougher than I was expecting."

"Well that explains the difference in personality," Castiel smiled a little at him, "You're a little more docile than the others I've met. I mean, you're very rough around the edges and a lot more vicious than any I've met but… it's hard to describe exactly. I can tell that someone took care of you."

"Even if he did a shit job?" Sam laughed, earning himself a glare from his brother.

"Yeah," Castiel nodded quickly, "Even if it was done poorly I can still see he had been cared for during an important time. I'm glad, really. I wish I could say I've done the same for my…" He trailed off as the questions started to flutter to his mind. 'My Dean' were the words he was about to use. Which one was he talking about? Which Dean was his Dean?

"I'm sure you're doing fine with yours," Sam nudged him reassuringly. "Don't get so down on yourself. Dean's easier to take care of than you think."

"Watch it, you two." Dean snarled. "We'll be back in an hour or so how about we make it a peaceful trip?"

"Talking about you being easy isn't peaceful?"

"Sam, I swear to god…"

Cas smiled and continued in silence. He felt strange, when travelling with the others he was the stoic angry one all the time. Look at him now, the one smiling quietly in the back, making some light hearted conversation like Jet might have tried. Or maybe pointing out little things about someone based on their behaviour like Sam always did. They were rubbing off on him more than he'd thought. And while that would have bothered him before it didn't now, just another testament to how much he'd changed.

He couldn't wait until he made it home to them.

* * *

_-"And when we sleep would you shelter me in your warm and darkened grave?"-_


	34. Fallout: Jet's Memories

**Fallout: Part 6**

Everything was moving so fast he couldn't see a thing, Sam tried to sit up, tried to move his limbs, speak, anything but none of his functions seemed to be listening. On top of that he couldn't stop the feeling of motion, like he was being dragged through space by his ankles. Air was difficult to catch at the speeds he was moving, or maybe it was the fact that his body wasn't working right that he couldn't get a breath. Regardless of what it was it was making him panic, at least for a few seconds before it all suddenly stopped.

Sam gasped for what he assumed was air when he finally felt his mind wake, eyes flying open to see nothing but darkness all around. Last he remembered he was speaking with Dean and then Jet had- no it wasn't Jet. Sam looked around again, trying to focus and finding that it was more difficult than normal. It was kind of like being disconnected from himself, and really he didn't want to find out if that was true. He squinted and tried again, and again but everything was still dark and blurry. Strange and messy he started to move; walking in nearly any random direction his legs would carry him. Things were getting a bit easier as he went, focus came to him and soon he could walk a straight line again. None of that mattered though because his eyes still weren't working right.

Then he realized it wasn't his vision that made things so foggy, it just was. Something wasn't right, though things rarely were. "Jet?" He called out but heard nothing in return. "Jet! It's Sam, are you there? Hello?" At the mention of his name he felt something, there was a loud thump, like a heart beating suddenly but then it stopped again. The noise had been so loud, like he was standing inside of a drum when someone hit it. "JET! Answer me!"

And just then a sudden crash to his left caught his attention, he wanted to think it was in response to him but he couldn't really be certain, not until he investigated. Sam turned to look and saw a light in the near distance, there was movement wherever that light was and he had no intention of ignoring it. He booked it across the dark space, trying to not think about where he was or the strange sounds he'd been hearing since he arrived. "Jet?" Sam called out again as soon as he reached the lit area, his eyes widening when he saw he'd stumbled into a kitchen. It looked older, like it was something from almost 20 years ago. A family was sitting down to dinner, a very small dinner considering it was made for three people. The mother smiled crookedly at her son and passed the food to her husband, a pointed gesture that showed no love.

Sam felt his stomach twist and he wanted to walk away. He knew where he was; he knew what was happening he'd heard it before. Dean had once mentioned something about Jet a long time ago that Sam had chosen to forget.

The boy had his back turned to Sam but he didn't need to see the face to know the shaggy brown hair. "Jet?" Sam asked softly but he hadn't been heard by anyone in the room. The boy shifted a little, his hand coming to his stomach to try and stop the gurgling sound it made but the noise bothered his father.

"Quiet, boy!" He hollered and slurred enough to indicate how much he'd had to drink, if the bottle at his side hadn't been enough. Sam tried to move into the room to stop what he could only imagine was coming as the father shouted his ranting nothings into the kid's face. He took several steps forward before he realized that he wasn't getting any closer, the child and his family were the same distance away they had been a moment before. Sam furrowed his brow and tried to lurch forward to at least get the boy away but still nothing,

"Come here! Get out of there, come here!" He shouted, trying to be louder the father but he could barely hear himself. "Jet! JET! It's Sam!" The room pulsed with the mention of his name, again the sound of a heartbeat thundered overhead but no more than once.

His attempts did nothing, though. The scene played out as it was meant to. Sam cringed when the bottle crashed on the table next to the boy's empty plate. "You know the rules, your mother and I eat first!" The man screamed.

Instead of speaking the boy only nodded his head and hung it to try and show he was no threat, it wasn't a conscious decision but that was why he'd done it. Sam knew that too, he remembered Jet's words once when he'd asked about it.

" _Why do you always get into people's faces?"_

" _You mean why do I pick fights?"_

" _No, I mean literally, when something happens and you crank your head up. Is it a pride thing?"_

" _Sort of, I guess. I dunno, mostly it's to show them that I'm a threat. Like a warning, if they choose to mess with me I'm not going to just sit there."_

" _You really think like that?"_

" _All the time, kiddo."_

Sam had been sick at the time, during the first month or so he'd been in bed for a while and Dean had asked Jet to watch him. The exchange hadn't been all that important, Sam was just asking questions but now he couldn't seem to get it out of his head. It hurt to watch the boy try to shy away, try to hide in his own skin. It hurt more to know who the boy was.

"Jet." Sam covered his mouth as he realized he couldn't do anything. He wanted to look away as the man beat down on his child for what he could only imagine was a normal occurrence then. He wanted to cover his eyes from the sight, his ears to save himself from hearing the boy's screaming and crying, but he didn't. Instead he remained still and watched with the same horrified expression. "This isn't really happening…" He said quietly, "This is something else. It's just a memory. It's not real."

"It's real enough." The familiar voice sounded behind him and Sam spun to see the Jet he knew, arms folded over his chest and leaning against the doorframe.

Sam took a shaky breath as he let the other man's presence sink in. He was really standing there; whatever was happening in that kitchen didn't change the man that was standing right behind him. Sam quickly wiped his eyes and hurried to his side, "Jet! Are you okay?" He moved directly in front of Jet in a way that mostly blocked the view of the fading scene behind him, "What's happening?"

"Void thing, I'm guessing." Jet smiled at him, Sam's chosen position not a mystery to either of them though neither chose to openly address it. "Dean here with you?"

"No, that thing pulled me inside."

Jet's face grew a little pale and he dropped his arms uselessly, "Fuck… I'm sorry, Sam. I tried to-"

"We didn't hear a lot of what you tried to say," Sam tried to hush him before he could get anywhere close to sorry for himself. "It's not your fault. What matters though is that Dean did see me go, so he'll be here any time now."

"Where's Cas?"

"We don't know. We're assuming he's just further out and is taking a while to get here, or so the other Castiel said. And also, if it makes you feel any better, that Cas shot the guy beating you up."

Jet scoffed out a bit of a laugh, looking away a little embarrassed. "You saw that, huh?"

Sam nodded, smiling at him, "Kind of a cheap way to do it, too. Tie you up so you can't hit back? I mean it's not really losing-"

"Who said anything about losing? I didn't lose anything!" Jet was immediately defensive but in a joking way, mostly.

"Come on, let's see if we can find a way out." Sam tried to keep it light hearted though he could tell by Jet's following expression that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I don't think we'll have to…" Jet's response was softly spoken and even a little shaky. Sam was about to ask what he meant when he realized that the darkness floating around them was starting to close in.

"Is… is this stuff sentient?" He managed to ask as he watched it take shape around Jet's right leg and arm. It was creeping its way up his body and Sam didn't know what he was thinking but he grabbed onto Jet's left arm and held it tightly. "Jet, can you shake it off?"

Jet was hesitant to attempt it but he did all the same, which he found out was as bad an idea as he'd thought when the darkness around him started to pull. "What the fuck!?" His first reaction was cursing but fear jumped in next when that beady-eyed face emerged near to his.

Sam held tighter and pulled back, his heart starting to beat erratically. He had no idea what that face was, what the monster was or how to do anything about it. All he knew was that he was not letting go of Jet. "Don't let it take you!" He growled out as he strained against the opposing force. It was starting to tug periodically but harsh, making a little progress with each random pull. Sam grit his teeth as he tried to drag Jet further away in the opposite direction but he wasn't making any kind of ground. He looked up to see that Jet was literally just standing there, staring into the thing's face as it loomed in closer to his. Sam could see the panic in Jet's eyes and felt it in his limbs as he tried to yank him backward; it wasn't comforting in any sort of way. "JET! Come on! Jet look at me!" His friend didn't reply, move, or anything of the kind.  _'Is he paralyzed? Hypnotized? What's going on?'_

The creature looked Sam's way for a second, as if saying 'you're helpless,' right before it truly started to take Jet with it. And in the following few seconds Sam couldn't discern exactly how fast they were moving but it felt faster than when he'd ever ridden in the Impala.

Jet squeaked out another panicked sound and Sam wished he could do something more than cling for dear life but that's all either of them were able to do. Jet jerkily tried to pull away from the monster hauling him through what Sam assumed were corridors of his mind, "Sam…" he groaned out the name as if it physically hurt to do so. "I… can't…"

"I've got you," Sam tried to reassure him but Jet shook his head.

"Let go."

"Not a chance in hell."

The movement slowed down and Sam started to see different things pass them by, little bits and pieces of Jet's life just open to be viewed. It was so strange to see his friend so young, Sam remembered Jet as being so much older, mostly because Jet was Dean's friend. Being four years his senior probably had something to do with it, but still, Jet always seemed old to him. And yet all he could see now was a kid, a scrappy, loud-mouthed, under appreciated kid. But of course that kid grew up with each scene they witnessed, picking fights on the playground, picking a fight with Dean, playing with Dean, going through school with Dean, visiting Dean and finally meeting Sam. The moment he saw his face there was that strange sound again, this time muffled and distant.

"Are you seeing all this?" Sam asked softly, still clinging to Jet's side as they travelled across his mind.

"Yeah… scaring the shit out of me." Jet answered, his voice much less pained this time.

"Is that thing hurting you?"

The amount of silence that followed told Sam the truth but he knew the answer Jet would always give, "Nah, it's ok."

The speed they were moving at was more comfortable now, though still pretty fast. He wondered where they were in Jet's head, or if it was so much his head as it was his mind, or his soul. And yet as much as all of that seemed to matter, none of it really did. He had no control over it. Sam crawled a little higher on Jet and wrapped his arms around the other's torso, it was a better hold and he was less likely to take off one of Jet's limbs by accident. The silence was starting to get to him as the scenes faded in and out of view. "What's scaring you?"

"Doesn't your life flash before your eyes before you die?" Jet answered more easily than Sam thought, and even though it was a question to his question, it was also an answer.

"Yeah, they say that happens… But I'm seeing it too, I think it's something else." Sam tried to sound reassuring and the only way he knew that Jet knew it too was the way Jet held onto him. Jet hadn't tried to hold onto him because he didn't want to drag Sam down with him, but now his arm was wrapped around Sam's upper body, hand digging into his side a little. It was probably more comforting than a real response could have been.

But he had been wrong before.

"Thank you." Jet closed his eyes and whispered.

Sam smiled, though a little sadly, "I do what I can."

"You always have."

It was the strangest exchange the two of them could remember ever having. They'd had moments where something important happened between them, but most of the time it was something that one of them hadn't been aware the other knew about. Like the times Sam had pretended to stay asleep when Jet visited, but Jet never knew that. Now they were both aware of it, that something meaningful had been shared, and neither knew what to do with that information, or if they were supposed to do anything at all.

And while most people would remain quiet about it and never really bring it up, Sam couldn't help but push his luck. "I can hear your heart beating."

"Weird, this isn't really my body." Jet muttered, his usual attempt at trying to cheapen a moment with a joke.

Sam smiled, glad that no matter what was happening, whether they were about to be dragged to their deaths or something more emotional, Jet was still Jet. "No, I mean every time my name is mentioned or my face shows up in your memories."

He was expecting a sarcastic remark, another joke, anything really. But instead there was silence for a long time as the memories faded with the last one.

" _Dean's too much of a mutton-head for it to go that smoothly."_  Jet's voice had echoed as the image faded, the very last thing was the sound of Sam's laughter.

" _Yeah, probably."_

Jet smiled a little, this time hearing what Sam was talking about. The heart beat echoing around them every now and then had gotten louder with each scene that passed and now it was almost like a crash of thunder. "Yeah, I hear it too."

Sam furrowed his brow and looked up at Jet but didn't get a return glance; the older male's eyes were still closed. He wanted to say something about it but the creature holding onto Jet made a loud and frightening cackling kind of sound. Their pace halted abruptly for a brief moment before they were hurdled toward a room ahead.

Jet immediately pinched Sam's side as hard as he could, "Ow!" Sam yelped out first, flinching inward and loosening his grip in the process. He realized far too late that Jet had done it on purpose. Sam was thrown off at a side angle, hitting the edge of the wall before the next room opened up and tumbling to the ground there. Jet on the other hand was flung the rest of the way in.

"Jet!" Sam could hear himself screaming before he even realized why he had. The hall opened into a giant chasm of a room, the dark substance swirling in a thick mass of a whirlpool in the center. Sam could see other ledges from other parts of Jet's mind far across from his own. They were so distant from they looked tiny, the doorways looked to be about two inches tall from his position though he knew they were as big as the one he was standing in. The walls were covered in the black mass, moving and shifting with that beady-eyed face fazing in and out all over the place.

The size of the room didn't scare him, the monster floating around wasn't as big of a deal, it was the fact that Jet was somewhere in the middle that made him call out his name. "Jet!  _Jet!_ " The movement and rushing of matter all around the room made it so loud that he wasn't sure his voice was making it far enough for Jet to ever hear him, even if he was okay somehow.

Then he heard it; "Sam!" Jet sounded like he was close.

"Jet? Jet where are you?" Sam hurried to the edge and looked down, seeing the steep slope of the wall below leading to the whirlpool. At first he didn't see anything but as another wave of black substance ebbed and dwindled he could see Jet trying to climb up the bank. The flow of the thick crud was clearly slowing him down and making it more difficult, but Jet wasn't gone.

"I see you! I'm gonna come get you!" He called out as he started to climb down from the ledge.

"NO! Stay there!" Jet demanded before he got another face full of the vile fluid, again he vanished to Sam's gaze as it poured over his body and covered him entirely. It was so much that Sam was worried it'd wash him away, but it didn't. Jet coughed and spat a little as he continued toward him, "I'm going to try and get to you, you wait there until Dean comes!"

"Jet, no I-"

"SAM! For the love of god just listen to me!" That was the first time Sam had truly heard anger in Jet's voice and it was enough to make him listen.

"As soon as he gets here I'm getting you out of there."

"Fine, just wait for Dean." Jet spat again and continued to struggle along, knowing full well he'd have to continue to shout at Sam the whole time to make sure the idiot wouldn't just dive in.

Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek as he watched, his heart beating rapidly and his arms feeling useless at his sides. He'd only been able to watch as the boy at that kitchen table was beaten, and now he was being forced to stand there while he watched one of his best friends struggle to safety. Everything in him screamed at him to do something, so he did. "I'll see if I can find something to pull you in!" He shouted before turning to run back down the corridor behind him.

"SAM! Goddamn it!"


	35. Fallout: Anima

**Fallout: Part 7**

Dean, Sam, and Castiel strolled up to the encampment; it was dark with the sun barely rising in the distance. Cas covered his mouth as a yawn crept up through his throat, he was tired and exhausted from walking forever but he was trying to keep that part to himself. Dean glanced back his way and chuckled a little, "It's still too weird to see you like this."

"What do you mean?" Cas was taken aback by the comment, it was more his line to say about Dean than Dean to him considering one of them was sort of undead.

"I see him up ahead there, you'll see in a second." Dean's pace quickened, Dogmeat right on his heels. "Cas!" He called out and watched his partner's arm lift to wave.

"What to you so fucking long?" Castiel was quick to scowl, his tone vicious. "There's been an emergency on this end and you're just wandering in like nothing's happening."

"I love you too," Dean smirked as he walked directly up to the other, and for a moment the priest thought that this other Castiel was going to do something crazy. He wasn't sure why but the look of his opposing self was so much different than his own it was almost scary. He looked violent, rough around the edges, and a bit like a terrorizer. But instead the raider relaxed his shoulders and made a face, though very subtle, that Cas would never mistake. It was the expression he usually made for family and loved ones, the ones he cared for most and despite being angry or whatever he was feeling toward them that expression would always seep through in some way. It was a bit comforting to know some of his personality was present in this one too, though at the same time it meant that he was also capable of such a frightening persona.

"You're late." Raider Cas said again as they hugged, resting his head against Dean's for a longer period of time than the priest thought he would have. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, just ran into another you out there." Dean nuzzled his Castiel's cheek, "What emergency?"

"We got another you, another Sam, and another Jet in here. The emergency is with them actually," the raider looked over at his counterpart, "They need you."

Castiel bristled and stiffened at once, "Where are they? What happened?"

Instead of telling however, the other Castiel led them to the medical building where Dean had been sitting with his unconscious family. He looked up and his face brightened at the sight of his partner, "Cas! Cas you're okay!" He didn't know he'd feel so relieved, he didn't know how scared he'd been until he saw Cas again. Dean pulled him into a hug immediately, holding tightly and refusing to let go even when Cas tugged backward a little.

"Dean, we need to-"

"Just… give me this, okay? Please, just let me…"

Castiel stopped and dropped his head against Dean's shoulder like he'd seen the other him do. It was a relief to see his partner, he was very glad that Dean was alive but that didn't mean he wasn't worried about Sam and Jet. The two were unconscious and he had a few theories on what it could be. Some were more pressing with time and he just hoped he wasn't too late already. "Dean… I'm sorry I worried you." He spoke softly, running his hand up and down Dean's back soothingly, "But right now we need to save your brothers."

"You know Jet's not my brother," Dean stepped back, leaving room for Cas to approach and inspect the situation.

"And you know that he is." Castiel said as he passed, going to Jet's side first. From what he could tell Jet was the one in need of help and therefore more likely to be the victim of whatever void monster they were dealing with. "What happened to Sam?"

"Some black thing came out of Jet and sucked something out of Sam." Dean furrowed his brow and shook his head, "I couldn't… I couldn't do anything. Even with this magic it doesn't matter, I don't know what to do with it."

"It's okay, Dean. The magic comes with time, I'm glad you didn't try to do anything with this anyway. From what I understand, this thing requires a more delicate hand than you're capable of."

"What is it?"

Cas curled his bottom lip in to bite it gently as he thought, a number of names running through his mind but only one he knew of would do what Dean had described. "Anima."

Dean furrowed his brow and looked to his brother as Cas quickly stepped around him. "What does it do?"

"I'm assuming you didn't look at Sam's journal, hm?" the priest replied without so much as a glance at his partner, who all but sulked about the question.

"Well… no, not really. I dunno, I didn't think of it. I was panicking, okay? Sam was fine and then he wasn't and I didn't know where you were-"

"Calm down," Cas spoke softly, "We can fix this, an anima is a spirit type monster that seeps into the mind of someone's who been injured cranially and is rendered unconscious. It nests there, disconnects them from their body and traps them in their own head."

"That's what happened to Jet?"

"Yes. The anima feeds on memory and emotion, during the process the victim will see the memories as they pass and sometimes feel the emotions. The anima has been known to come face to face with its host, if it does that person is often frozen for a period of time as the anima feeds off their direct feeling of fear. There are different types of anima, some of them like to take their time and others prefer to hurry through their meal. If the host is difficult to deal with it will bring in the nearest person to use as a puppet to distract the host, which is why I believe Sam was taken in. From what I know Jet isn't the easiest of people to manipulate."

"So it's trying to use Sam to trip Jet up?" Dean almost wanted to laugh at that. He watched as Castiel started to lift Sam out of his chair and move him to Jet's bed. "And what are you doing that for?"

"I'm assuming that Sam's just as hard to control, so I doubt that's an issue. And I'm trying to get as much contact between them as possible. After we diffuse the anima it'll very suddenly let go of the extra victim, at that point the consciousness of the other person will go to the nearest body. We have a much greater chance of getting Sam back after if he's in as much contact with Jet as possible." Cas grunted a little as he struggled to angle Sam right; the deadweight was difficult to maneuver and was starting to piss him off.

Dean walked over and helped angle his brother to be a little more comfortable for both Sam and Jet. "How long until this anima is done feeding, and what happens?"

"I don't know how long, each anima is different as I said," Cas placed a hand on Jet's forehead, a pale light flickering where their skin touched. "But when it is finished it drains the consciousness entirely. The host is emptied and left as a shell, some wake up; others fall into comas for the rest of eternity. The ones that wake are nothing more than mindless bodies, their conscience is gone, their spirit, emotions, memories, all of what makes them human."

Dean felt panic arch through again, the thought of his brother winding up in a coma from this or worse, a zombie taking its course. "What can we do?"

"Well now that I have a second priest with me we can go inside. Place two fingers his temple and your thumb over his forehead like mine."

Obediently Dean listened, Jet's forehead felt cold and a little clammy to touch. It was a little scary but he knew that Castiel had a handle on the situation; he was so calm and collected that it didn't seem to bother him at all. He had to make a mental not to ask Cas how he'd known what to do in that situation. There had been so many times where Cas just knew what to do with his magic while Dean fumbled around helplessly with his own.

And while it seemed important to ask he knew that they didn't have the time just then. The same light that glimmered beneath Castiel's palm appeared under his own, he could feel the energy in his arm and it was electrifying. The same magic he didn't know what to do with just activated on its own, like his mind knew what it was supposed to do without him consciously aware of it.

Just as easily as it had started it ended. Among all the new sensations and feelings he suddenly felt nothing, like he'd been completely disconnected from himself. His entire body tingled on and off like a wave, at the same time it felt like gravity was looping around him and increasing in force. He didn't like it at all; it confused him as to which way was up and with his eyes closed he really didn't have a clue. It wasn't new but it wasn't something he was aware he'd ever experienced if he had. It was a mixture of everything that he knew was comfortable and everything that made him anxious, like his body wasn't used to breathing.

"Cas?" He called out, his voice distant to him. He could barely hear anything and when he realized that his eyes were in fact open but he couldn't see either he started to feel claustrophobic. But it all stopped. Everything halted and he found himself standing in a corridor with a light shining at the end. "What the hell was that?!"

"The transfer, we're now inside Jet's head. As priests we are physically present here so be careful." Castiel strode forward somewhat cautiously, heading straight for the light. He glanced around them as if expecting something to come out at them.

"Cas where are you going? Do you know where they are?" Dean hurried after his partner's footsteps, worry only rising inside him. He still didn't know where Sam or Jet had gone or if they'd even find them. Constantly concerned for his brother's safety wasn't exactly a relaxing pastime.

"The anima sucks everything to the center of its host's mind, where the connection of the host's humanity to their spirit lives. In the center is where it starts the draining process, and by the looks of these walls it has already started." As Cas spoke Dean realized that everything around them was moving, even the ground below, all toward the light. "Therefore I'm heading toward the center along with the rest of it."

If the strange substance around them was already moving to the center it meant that Jet was already being drained, that Jet's and Sam's spirits were about to be or already had been devoured. Dean pushed past Cas to run to the center, he didn't need to really say why he was going and if Castiel's silence had been anything to go by, his partner knew the reason as well. Not that Cas didn't have his objections to Dean running into unknown territory, but he knew to keep them to himself.

The light beyond the corridor signified Dean was close to the end and though he thought he was prepared for anything he quickly realized that what he was seeing didn't quite count. The doorway opened to the deepest part of Jet's self and it was enormous, at least as big as a football stadium. He was standing on a ledge just like several all around the perimeter, all barely safe from the rushing ooze that drained toward the center. A center that looked like it was hundreds of yards down from where he stood. It sounded like he was standing next to a waterfall, the room was extremely loud and on top of that it made him feel entirely too small.

Dean didn't know where to look first; the room was too big to see something as small as another person on the other side. "SAM!" He screamed as loud as he could and to his immediate relief he heard a response.

"Dean!"

"There," Castiel was at his side already and pointing to their right, one ledge away Sam was standing with his arms entirely wrapped up in a rope that was pulled tight off the other side of his outcropping.

"What are you doing?" Dean motioned to the rope without much use for words at that moment, he was so relieved and still terrified because Sam wasn't safe yet. "You'll fall in!"

"That's what I keep saying!" Jet's voice called out from past Sam, filling Dean in on a detail or two of the situation.

"Shit…" Cas took a step or two back, angling properly as he judged the distance between their ledges. "We'll need to jump over to them, the anima knows we're here and it'll speed up the process very soon."

Moments after he'd spoken the dark substance started rushing to the middle faster and faster, swirling and crashing together. Sam had just taken Jet's hand but the current ripped them away from the safety of his platform. A sharp cry escaped Sam's mouth when he felt airborne for a few seconds before he felt the thick fluid all around him. Luckily for him Dean and Castiel had already made the leap, Dean catching hold of Sam's ankle while Cas already had a firm grip on the back of Dean's coat.

The trail of men jerked to a stop as Castiel ground his feet and braced himself, holding onto Dean as tightly as he could. The force of the current mixed with the weight of the three he was holding up meant that Cas had needed every ounce of strength he had to keep them in one place. He grit his teeth and started to pull them in, the only one with his feet still on solid ground.

Jet coughed out the ooze that managed to get into his mouth and looked up to see Sam's scrunched face. His jaw was clenched and eyes squeezed shut as he concentrated past the pain and stress that he was being bombarded with. "Just let go, Sam!" Jet shouted for what Dean knew must've been the hundredth time.

"You know I won't!" Sam glared back at him, "So stop telling me to!"

"Goddamn it." Jet laughed and shook his head, "You're seriously going to make me a murderer, aren't you?"

"How did he even get you to grab the rope with that attitude?" Dean called down to his best friend with a bit of a chuckle.

"Said he'd jump in himself if I didn't grab it."

"Sounds like Sam."

"Would you guys at least shut up!?" Cas growled down at them just before the anima's beady-eyed face formed out of the substance beside their ledge and lunged at Castiel. The priest snapped a hand up just in time to catch the thing's face, holding it at bay for a second. He could feel Dean and the other's slipping, his legs barely holding out against the strain. Cas looked at the shrieking thing and squeezed a little as his palm started to flicker again, keeping it from disappearing on him.

Dean looked back to see Castiel glowing again, his eyes lit up and that same magically energy flowed around him like controlled air. It sparked every now and then as he started to chant something Dean kind of understood. It was a banishing spell, or a seal of some kind. Whatever it was Cas knew it by heart and it was starting to affect the entire room. "Hold on Sammy! It's gonna get rough."

"This isn't bad enough!?" Sam cried, trying to hold onto Jet. He was scared, scared because it was too easy to lose him. If Jet wanted to he could just let go and there'd be nothing Sam could do about it. "Promise me," He squeezed Jet's hand and caught the other man's attention. "Promise you won't give up."

Jet stared at him for a moment before letting one hand go and reaching a little higher to get a better hold for himself, "I promise, I said I'd keep you safe didn't I?" He smiled a little and despite the fact that the room was starting to shake more violently than any amusement park ride Sam had ever been on, Sam felt so much better.

Castiel's body tensed for a second before he let go of Dean entirely, both hands forcing the face he held into a disconnected shape from the rest of its mass. He spoke so quickly and his hands moved in such a way that the light trailed behind, making something in its wake. The room shook and spun on its own as everything that the anima had destroyed reformed itself, a light flashed through the area several times, each time getting brighter and brighter until it never stopped.

Jet pulled hard on Sam to bring them closer together and wrapped his arms around the other. He had no idea what was going on but protecting Sam had been his goal originally and it hadn't ever stopped. He remembered Castiel's words the first time,  _'If you all die don't come crying to me… Right, but if Sam does and you don't I don't want to hear about it.'_  "Not giving up on you." He grit his teeth and held on for all he was worth, despite the torrential force trying to tear them all apart.

Dean held tight to his brother's leg though that was all he'd managed to get a hold of, he looked back as the light consumed the room, seeing that it was all originating from Castiel who hadn't stopped floating but had arched back further than was normal with the anima still clenched in his hand. His body looked so stiff and tense it couldn't have been natural. "CAS!" He could hear himself shouting above the sound of the shrieking and the rumbling but it still wasn't loud enough.

The flash ended and everything once again came to a sudden halt. Dean stumbled to the ground, his eyes wide as his body shook from the vast difference of pressure. "Cas!" He choked out the name as he spun around, seeing Castiel's form laid out on the floor. "CAS! Fuck, what keeps happening to you!?"

"I'm okay," Castiel groaned as Dean scrambled to prop him up, "I'm alright."

"What was that? Your magic almost always knocks you out."

Cas looked up at him like he was ready to answer but instead he fell limp again. Dean cursed under his breath and lifted him up to put on an empty bed nearby. Cas often had to rest after big magical blowouts like that, where he completely obliterated the monster they were dealing with all on his own. It wasn't new, Dean reminded himself as he went to check on Sam, remembering the possibility of Sam not making it back to his own body.

However he was met by a smile, Sam was laughing softly against Jet before he started to push himself up. "We almost died."

"Yeah, you find that funny?" Jet raised an eyebrow at him, still wincing at the pain from his previous beating.

"A little. You're more dramatic than you let on- whoa!" Sam flailed a little as Jet shoved him off entirely

"Shut up!"

"You're alright," Dean sighed, relieved over all. "Thank god…"

"Is Cas okay?" Sam asked as he stood, looking over at the other bed.

"Just resting."

"This happens to him a lot, huh?" Jet nudged Sam's shoulder, "Check the book now, see if there's anything in there on this kind of thing."

"You know I barely got it a few days ago, I have no idea where to start."

"Anywhere. Start anywhere."


	36. His Perdition

" _Look at me."_

_Castiel shuddered, his eyes were closed again and he could hear the sweet voice beside him._

" _Cas. What are you doing? He isn't me. Why are you doing this? Look at me, Cas."_

" _No." Castiel choked out the word with a bitter sound, he could feel the tears burning behind his eyes and he didn't want them. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

" _You're in love with another man?"_

" _You're dead."_

" _You love someone who isn't me?"_

_Cas rolled over and shoved him backward, opening his eyes enough to see the pale and lifeless face his nightmares loved to show him. "Get away from me. You aren't the memory of him that I wanted to keep."_

" _You'd love anyone that looks like me, wouldn't you? You whore."_

" _Shut up!"_

" _Cheater. Unfaithful liar! They're all going to leave you. They're all going to die. You're going to kill them."_

" _I said_ _ **SHUT UP!**_ _" Cas shrieked as energy boiled up in him and blasted out from his hands, sending the corpse of his husband flying. There was nothing left but a mark on the wall. Cas sobbed and writhed on the bed, curling in on himself._

"Cas!"

_That voice again. He could still hear Dean's voice._

"Cas!  _Cas!_  CAS!"

_On repeat like an alarm. "Stop it! Leave me alone!" Cas cried and thrashed out at what felt like arms on his shoulders, shaking him. "Stop it!"_

"Cas it's me, wake up!"

_Wake up? Castiel opened his eyes again and looked up, seeing the corpse again looming over him, a hand on his arm and leaning down. Cas felt frozen for a few seconds as the hands wrapped around his neck again, that familiar pressure of dying. He screamed and screamed until his airway was blocked, arms flying up, about to incinerate him again when he heard a voice he wasn't used to hearing in this place anymore._

"Cas! That's enough, calm down!"

_Sam. And then another hand pulled him away and down to the bed, an entirely different person than the Winchesters._

"C'mon man, you got this. Just cool it."

_Jet. Jet wasn't supposed to be there. Cas struggled but soon relaxed into the bed, the mattress was so hard and uncomfortable and the vision of his husband altered to a living man with worried green eyes._

"Dean?" He rasped out the name as tears slipped from his eyes and tickled their way down to his ears. "I… I…" he didn't have words to say, instead he let it all unravel again. Despite having let it out before he always had more to release. The pain piled on him like a mountain of rubble just crushing him until he could find a way to stop it. "It never stopped hurting, waking up alone, cold and distant." Cas babbled out the words as his friends closed in, dropping their holds on him. Dean immediately propped him up in his arms and held on, cradling his partner close to him. Cas sobbed into his shoulder, trying to curl in on himself further. "It never stopped hurting, I'm so tired."

"Shhh," Dean pet through Castiel's hair gently, not making any sudden movements or asking any stupid questions for the moment. "Try to relax, Cas. You're okay now, you're safe."

"It hurts." Cas whined, ignoring Dean's words or possibly not even hearing them. "It hurts to think, it hurts to move. I'm so scared, Dean."

"What's scaring you?" Dean wished the heartbroken sound of Castiel's voice didn't make him feel that way but it did. He was angry that he didn't know what was causing it, that he couldn't do anything about it.

"This… whole thing. Everything that's happening. I thought I knew how it all worked, I thought it was so simple and easy to keep going to different worlds but it isn't. It  _isn't_. I don't hear the celestials anymore; they should be back by now. I don't know what they are, how much of this is real or how much is twisted in a timeline. I thought I knew it but I don't know anything. I'm so helpless!" Castiel's hand grasped at Dean's shirt, pulling at it.

"We all are, Cas." Sam tried to be calm as well, wondering where the hell this had all come from. "There's no reason to panic."

"That's entirely why we should be panicking, Sam! These stupid holy beings can get into our heads and control us from wherever they are. They activate magic inside us that shouldn't be possible, that we shouldn't be able to do. As soon as they touch our minds we can use magic, Dean… Dean you can't do it that well, can you?" Cas looked up at Dean again, his eyes wide and frantic.

"No… but Cas you just woke up, you're really out of it. Try to calm down." Dean partially wished Cas would just go back to sleep, he was babbling and crying and jumping between emotions too fast to be good for him.

"You can't feel it like I can, you can't do the things I do. I don't know how I know what I'm doing, I don't know what the spells are that come out of me. They hurt me." The tears still dripped down his face as he looked directly into Dean's eyes, "It hurts me in ways I didn't know I could feel pain. Ever since we started running into other versions of ourselves, ever since we met I can't… I can't control it like I used to. It burns. Everything. Everything hurts, Dean. It hurts.  _It hurts_. I want it to be over. I'm so tired. I wanna go home. It hurts."

"Cas!" Dean grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little, "Calm down, just stop okay?"

Castiel's lower lip quivered as he nodded his head, just nodding and then shaking it, bringing his hands to his face trying to wipe the tears away. "They won't stop…" he whispered, "I can't… Dean I'm scared. Don't go. Please. Don't leave me, don't go. I can't stop crying."

Dean cradled Cas again, holding as tightly as he could, "I'm not going to leave you, not ever."

Castiel sobbed violently into his chest for a few moments before passing out again, dropping limp in his arms. Dean stared down at him for a second before looking up at Sam and Jet who were as shocked as he was.

"Okay, I think he needs to stop with the magic for a while." Jet pointed vaguely in Cas' direction. "It really messes with him."

"I'm kind of worried…" Sam reached over and pet Castiel's hair a little. "He's usually so pulled together, whatever nightmare that was it didn't make anything any better."

"Cas has had a rough time," Dean said softly, "But I think we should give him a break. Don't bug him about this; don't ask him unless he wants to talk about it. Just show him we're here, alright? He's really stressed out and that kind of magic puts a huge strain on him."

"He said you can't do it like he can, that true?" Jet raised an eyebrow, wincing a bit because his face still kind of hurt.

"He and I don't have the same skill sets, we're similar but each one of us has better qualities in one thing than the other and so on. Cas is more magical than I am in most cases, except I can exorcise demoni where he can't. It's stuff like that, we're a team and we're meant to take things on together." Dean gently laid Castiel to rest and sat down beside the bed, keeping his hand close and touching something so that Cas knew he wasn't alone.

"Makes sense…" Sam nodded and sat next to Jet's bed again, looking back at the journal. "Guess we'll be here for a bit longer then."

"Looks that way." Dean shrugged, not really caring too much about it.

* * *

It took a few hours but soon Castiel was up again, acting like nothing had really changed though maybe a bit tired. Like other times he was healed up and Dean sat at his side, his mouth pulled tight in a worried expression as Castiel readied himself to leave. Sam and Jet had gone out for a quick walk so it was just them in there now. "Cas," He started and paused, watching how Castiel shook his head.

"Don't… I don't know, so don't ask me."

"You don't know what I was going to ask."

"Doesn't matter, I don't know the answer." Cas didn't look at him and all Dean could do was wonder why.

"How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." Castiel looked over at him, his eyes a little puffy from crying earlier and Dean could see it all in the stormy blue. Cas knew what had happened, if even just a little. "Dean… I'm sorry. I don't know why I said all that."

"Don't worry about it," Dean stood up and went behind Cas, wrapping his arms around the other priest and resting there for a moment. It felt nice; to have Castiel in his arms this way. "We just want you to know we're here with you, always."

"I know you are…" Cas sighed and rested back against Dean, a smile coming to his lips. "I'm just stressed out…"

"A lot of things have changed for you too, I understand that you'd be a bit out of it. Like I said, don't worry about it."

Cas turned his head a little and looked at Dean, really looked and for a second Dean thought they could speak to one another without actually saying a word. He knew it was impossible for that but it still felt like they were actually that close.

"You know I really care about you." Dean whispered, his arms around Castiel's middle tightening just enough to let Cas know they were still there.

"I do." Castiel licked his lips briefly; he looked as though he were considering so many things at once. Things he could say or do, but none of it really mattered, all that mattered was that little moment they shared. Just the closeness and the feeling that he wasn't alone in the universe. Cas closed his eyes and let himself forget for few seconds, forget all the things that led him there, all the pain and the anguish and insanity. It was just them, just that room.

"Dean…" He whispered the name so softly he wasn't even sure it was actually out loud and not in his head. But Dean replied with an equally soft sound, just a little groan from his throat to indicate he'd heard. Castiel smiled and folded his hands over Dean's, feeling so much more at ease and safer than he'd ever felt before.

"I love you."

There was another soft sound from Dean's throat, the same 'hm' as before but mixed in with a chuckle.

"What's funny?" Cas asked, not really taking offense, just smiling, glad to be where he was.

Dean squeezed him gently and buried his face in the crook of Cas' neck. "You stole my line."

Castiel laughed.


	37. PMA: I Miss The Sound of Your Voice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next few chapters exist within a Trilogy I wrote with a co-author a few years back. The trilogy itself isn't the best but if anyone wants to read it just ask and I'll send links to it on my Fanfiction.net account. It's called 'Pleasure My Angel'

**Mainline**

As soon as they were able they took off from the wastelands, goodbyes weren't necessary on any account. Dean had no intentions of saying anything to the bad tempered raider, Cas didn't want to speak with the undead version of Dean, Sam hadn't actually met himself and Jet would just as well have punched the other him in the face. All in all it was a clean get away, no hurt feelings at any point.

Castiel sighed lightly as they strolled down the mainline, eyes scanning for some kind of sign that a world was in trouble. He wasn't looking at Dean but he could feel him there, a gaze that all but screamed 'I'm concerned' at him. Cas was a bit slower than usual and he all but dozed off while standing still. It was clear to everyone that he was exhausted but no one knew what to say. The entire mission was a mess half the time and it had become too obvious to everyone that no one actually knew what was going on.

Everything Cas had thought was true turned out to be questionable at best and when it came down to the magical abilities he carried he couldn't even really say what was wrong. They didn't work the way they should have and for some reason did a number on him.

"You know," Cas started to speak first, catching everyone's attention immediately. "It's so weird how things have changed… We haven't been together that long but it still feels like forever."

"I think it has been, we're just bad at telling time." Jet smiled and shrugged, doing his best not to injure himself further. He was also moving a bit slower, his head a bit spinny and though he wouldn't tell the others, feeling nauseous.

"Maybe." Castiel chuckled and looked over at Dean who's expression softened toward him. They shared their moment, the words lingering between them with every stare and it was making Cas feel tingly inside. He remembered the feeling all too well and yet somehow it was all brand new. "What else is strange about all this, though? Before I met you all the celestials were holy beings that never altered aside from vanishing on me a few times every now and then. My magic can't decide whether it's sucking me dry or trying to blow me up. And Dean can't connect to his magical abilities like I do."

"Sam's hair." Dean added and earned himself a punch to the shoulder. "What? It's so long!"

"You know what I think?" Jet tried not to laugh at Sam but it was kind of true. They both had shaggy hairstyles but Jet kept his fairly short in comparison.

Sam rolled his eyes, getting ready for a stupid comment but decided to amuse the other wounded member of their party. "What do you think, Jet?"

"I think we should visit a world that's not in imminent danger. Most of this stuff is timeline crap, right? Well what's the harm in leaving it for a little while? I vote we pick a world with a less intense trail of fire around it."

Surprisingly it wasn't as stupid as Sam had expected. He looked over at his brother with a shrug, "That kind of sounds like a good plan to me."

Dean nodded, not even having to look at Castiel to know that he was unimpressed with their decision. "I think we could use a break, what do you say Cas?"

"I'd say that we need to keep moving but…" Cas looked down at the road below him and the void swimming beneath that. "I think I need to get my mind off all this lest I lose it."

"Good, then it's settled. Jet, pick a fire and follow it."

"Done deal." Jet smirked and for the first time led the group to the new reality they'd be visiting.

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 1**

The same feeling of travelling through space, time, and dimension opened up as always and for the first time Dean felt safe. There was no underlying vibe that he was going to stumble into a world of hurt first thing. Which, after the last realm they were in, was a very exciting prospect. He'd only just learned to be cautious as soon as he stepped through the portal and that thought had made more of a home in his mind than he'd originally thought. Feeling the safety of this new world was a surprise but welcome all the same.

The first thing he noticed was the atmosphere of the room he stepped into. Dean knew it all too well, the dim lighting, flashing advertisements on screens high above them, and a giant crowd of people mingling. It was an indoor arena made out for what looked like a massive concert. And by what he could tell the warm up bands had finished not too long ago, meaning the main act was about to make center stage.

"Dean!" Sam caught his arm after wriggling through the crowd, "See Cas anywhere?"

Dean looked at Sam then Jet who was right on his tail, "Uh, not yet. We'll find him."

"Guess it's not a 'danger is imminent' thing with that whole separating us deal, huh?" Jet joked, looking up to the stage as people started rushing toward it, all chit chat and excitement.

"Looks that way..." Dean trailed off as he witnessed the amount of people emerging from all over for the next performance. "Wonder who we're here to see?"

"No idea who they are but they're called 'Pleasure My Angel.'" Sam pointed toward someone's shirt as they all but screamed as they passed.

"You don't know who they are?" Someone sounded astonished, "How?!"

"Uhm... living under a rock apparently." Jet shrugged and made a gesture to shoo the guy away, "Off with you now, not interested in your fan-boy syndrome."

"Hope they're good." Dean frowned, able to tell by the crowd that the music they'd hear wasn't going to be to his tastes.

The room was suddenly deafened when the sound of a guitar rumbled over the speakers and people screeched in response. Jet raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Dean, neither knowing what they'd gotten themselves into with this one. Sam seemed to enjoy the opening jingle as a single spotlight lit up the microphone, an all too familiar figure standing by it.

"Is that Cas?" Dean furrowed his brow, knowing neither of the two beside him had probably heard because the screaming only got louder when Castiel made an appearance. Dean would have squinted and tried to see if it was his Castiel but he knew already that it wasn't. First off he wasn't wearing the uniform, second as soon as the music picked up his hips started to move and that wasn't something the other priest had ever demonstrated.

"Not our Cas." Jet shouted back at him, sounding distant in such a large crowd. People shrieked for 'Angel' and 'Castiel' and 'PMA' all at once, it was a miracle any of the three travellers understood a word.

The first song as was normal in most concerts was a chart topper, something to pump the crowd up and something that would make an awesome opening act. Cas could really move, his stage presence was dominating over everyone else up there with him and quite frankly Dean had almost completely missed the other people. The costumes were thought out and only added to the ambiance the rest of the band made up. Dean would have been lying if he said he wasn't impressed.

The big screens showed close ups of the band for those that were in the nose bleeds and far away seating, one shot flashed across Castiel's hand and Dean noted the wedding ring immediately.  _'That probably means the other me is around here somewhere.'_  He thought somewhat amused, looking around for someone who'd get V.I.P. treatment.

"He looks older," Sam pointed out just in time for the song to end and everyone cheer all over again. Dean had heard him, though. Castiel did look older and the weird thing was maybe that was even hotter than all the younger Castiel's he'd come across. Cas not only 'still looked good' when he was aged but he might've even looked better. Dean could only hope that he's image did the same.

"Good evening! How're my little sinners doing tonight?" Castiel called into the microphone, smiling wickedly as the crowd screeched for him, "As you all know tonight's show is a charity event so please remember to buy something, all proceeds-"

As he made the opening speech Dean couldn't help but notice all the eyes glancing his way, over and over someone looked at him then nudged a new person to stare. Whisperings and excited smiles all around him made him think that maybe his alternate self wasn't entirely a nobody.

"Are you a Winchester?" Someone finally had the nerve to ask, her eyes sparkling as she stared at his face.

"Uh... Yeah."

"Are... are you related to Dean and Castiel?"

That was the question and Dean wasn't sure how to answer it. He was Dean so did that count as being related? "Yeah, we're not famous so they don't talk about us much." He heard himself lying and wanted to stop but the way they lit up was spectacular. He felt like a celebrity by association and if that wasn't the coolest thing.

Sam rolled his eyes and looked back to the stage as people started to get rowdy again, though many of them were started to turn toward Dean in the crowd. "What's this, then?" Castiel squinted through the stage light to try and see. "Is somebody upstaging me over there? C'mere, let me see you."

Sam and Jet both looked at Dean, one grinning and shoving him forward the other wearing a 'what have you done' expression. Dean shrugged and moved forward, people stepping aside so he could get to the front, he looked up to see Castiel's cocky features slip, eyes widening slightly the closer he got. Though that didn't mean he lost composure, Cas reached down and pulled Dean up onto the stage, his gaze lingering on Dean's face and barely faltering to go lower or anywhere else. Something about Castiel, he had eyes that forced your attention and when he had it the look was that much more intense for it.

"Dean?" He asked into the microphone and if Dean could have measured the amount of confusion in the crowd at the moment he'd say it was off the charts.

"Yeah," Dean smiled at him, not sure where the hell he could possibly go from there so a single worded reply was all that he had.

Cas smiled wildly at him and Dean could only really question the man's actual age, the air around Cas didn't exactly say 'I'm an older man.' "I suppose we'll have to talk later, Dean. For now don't interrupt me, hm?" He gave a quick wink that burned a blush into Dean's cheeks.

"Right, sorry." Dean looked out at the crowd and felt his limbs tense. There were so many people and he could only imagine that the camera was aimed directly at his face for the world to see. "You're... pretty famous huh?"

Castiel opened his mouth to speak but instead he had to turn away laughing, "Yeah, yeah I guess I'm pretty famous. What do you guys think?"

Dean couldn't believe the wall of noise coming at him, the masses of people moving and waving and shouting all at once. It was overwhelming but exhilarating. Dean smiled at them and gave a wave, Castiel was playing the situation and he could see that. A charity event usually had weird stunts and things to convince people to dish out extra cash, Cas was using the appearance of a different Dean as if he'd planned for it. All the people in the crowd would most likely believe it was either incredible cosplay or an amazing make-up job. Regardless of what they believed, though, Dean was still standing in front of thousands of people.

"I don't believe you," Dean shrugged and looked at Cas like it really didn't matter to him. "From what I hear you're not making much with this charity event, spending more to please people than help the needy.  _Real_  fans would help out more."

The crowd was riled of course, especially by the look on Castiel's face when he reacted. "Well I never! The nerve of some people!"

Sam looked at Jet for some kind of hint that the other was as unimpressed with Dean as he was, but Sam tended to forget that Jet was Dean's best friend. Jet was laughing and jeering with the rest of the people around him, shouting random things like the fans that were really into it. "I can't wait until I find the other adult of our group..." Sam muttered with a smile, folding his arms over his chest to look up at Dean again.

"Well I think it's time to shun the non-believer." Cas motioned toward security, "Get this guy off my stage."

Dean chuckled as he was escorted away, pretending to throw a big fuss about it until he was let go, hurrying through the crowd back to where Sam and Jet were located. "Did you guys see that!?"

"Kind of funny, dude." Jet fist bumped him when prompted, "Feeling a bit of stage fright were you?"

"Do you know how many people are here? This is crazy! It's the biggest charity event I think I've seen."

"It is kind of amazing," Sam looked around, a smile on his face as he looked up toward the nose bleed section to see just how many people were enjoying the show from up there despite being so far away. "I guess he's famous enough for this."

"I'd say so, yeah." Dean turned his attention back to the stage, eyes lit up and face full of excitement. A concert was what they needed, though Castiel was supposed to be among them. Dean tried not to let that get to him, that he was always separated from Cas and that again he didn't know where the guy was, but he reminded himself that the world they were in wasn't meant to be dangerous.

The thought of Cas lingered until one of the stage props opened near the end of their concert. Dean's eyes widened even further when he watched his Castiel stumble out next to the original performer. The band looked at one another, Gabriel and Balthazar shrugging as Anna turned to stare at the new comer. Cas, the singer, looked just as surprised as everyone else but only for a split second. He moved to the priest's side and leaned up to his ear, whispering something to the terrified looking Cas who had just spent the last hour stuck in a box of some kind.

"Oh dear god." Jet snorted and covered his mouth to try and hide it in a thoughtful stance, "This ought to be good."

"Oh Cas..." Sam sounded empathetic for him though Dean could hear the little snicker behind the intended emotion.

The three expected a disaster or at least something to laugh at but that wasn't what they got. The music hit hard, catchy and overwhelming. Lights started to flicker and Castiel's voice crackled over the speakers, his control over his vocal chords was nothing short of amazing. He sang a song that many in the crowd recognized but the three travellers had no idea what everyone was so happy about, at least not until the lyrics became a little clearer to them. As the Castiel they had come to know slowly walked across the stage, a dim spotlight hitting him to illuminate his extruding features, Dean felt the weight of the song. It was about not really knowing yourself, seeing a different person in the mirror and not being what you had expected. Having one Castiel wasn't quite enough to demonstrate it but with another appearing for his use it quickly became many fans' favourite performance.

Approaching the climax the two Castiel's came face to face, the lyrics saying something about the reflection being flawed, that it flowed and copied but was never on time with the original. And though they didn't expect the singer's performance to be mimicked, the priest broke out the same dance moves he'd just witnessed, only moments after. The crowd cheered as soon as the two danced face to face, never looking away from the other and building up a level of tension between them that no one in the crowd could even fathom. Dean's face lit up even more as he watched his partner move, seeing Castiel let loose like that, seeing him dance was more than astounding, not to mention hotter than hell.

"Damn," Jet clapped and looked at his other two slack-jawed companions, "I didn't know he could move like that."

"I thought if he tried his hips would break." Dean laughed, not looking away from the stage to make the comment. He didn't want to miss a second of Castiel's performance.

The song ended with a bang, Castiel taking his alternate's hand lifting it in the air, leading the priest in a bow to the crowd, "Thank you all! And have a wonderful night!"

The roar in response was heartfelt and Dean, Sam, and Jet were all apart of it. Even if they hadn't enjoyed it they would have cheered, Castiel managed to do something other than a fated magical action or deal with a void monster. It was worth celebrating.

"He's taking Cas backstage," Sam pointed, "Come on, let's go get him." Dean and Jet were right on his heels, all of them swept away in the excitement and rush of the crowd. It'd been a while since they'd had real fun so none of them were really complaining about the level of jumping around they had to do to get by people. Losing the energy seemed to be the utmost of impossibilities.

They managed to get by security just on their looks alone, the guards having noticed that Dean was on stage previously so clearly he must have been a guest of Castiel's. The three looked around, trying to find the door to the backstage when someone called out to them, "Hey! What was that about?"

Dean turned his head to see a young man approaching him, his features resembling Castiel's but not quite, a similar mess of dark hair on his head. "What was... what about?"

"I thought you were staying home for this one, too much of a crowd or some bullshit. What're you doing here? And interrupting mom's performance-"

"Mom!?" Dean, Sam and Jet all blurted it out at once, eyes popping in unison. "Who's your mom? The red-head?" Jet continued, always a bit of a loud-mouth.

"Very funny, whoever you are." The young man rolled his eyes and looked Dean over, "You look good though, was it Balthazar or Gabriel that pulled the fancy magic stuff?"

"Neither, who are you?" Dean furrowed his brow, watching the stranger make the exact same face.

"Uhm... are you on something? It's Tommy, you're son?" The amount of sarcasm would have been insulting if Dean hadn't just heard the word 'son' come from him.


	38. PMA: I Miss the Rush of Your Skin

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 2**

Tommy stared hard at them, his expression one of scrutiny and slight confusion. Dean's was one of fear and confusion so they weren't that far off. "You and Uncle Sam look a lot younger, did they wipe your minds too?" Tommy pushed a little, evidently looking to find an answer. His father was much older than the man standing in front of him, as was his uncle. Obviously the other two supernatural creatures he knew must have had something to do with it, right? His mind reeled as he tried to figure out why the three standing across from him had no words as to what was going on. Gabriel and Balthazar were angels and both capable of this kind of thing, but he doubted that either of them would let them forget their family. Dean would never want to forget him, would he? No, there must have been something else then. Maybe it was another demon like they'd dealt with before. "Wait... was it Snowe? Is he possessed again?"

"Snowe? No. Who's that?" Dean made a face; his mind still unsure of what to do in that situation, defaulting to somewhat of a dick seemed his best option. "Whatever kid, I'm not your dad now get out of our way, we need to see Castiel." Dean tried to move past him but Tommy grabbed his arm firmly and pulled him back again, surprisingly strong for a human, if that's really what he was.

"Hold it," Tommy sounded a little hurt but he did well to hide most of it. "If you're not my dad then I'm sure as  _hell_  not letting you near my mom, you son of a bitch."

"He kinda does sound like you, man." Jet chuckled, moving to ease Tommy's grip, "Chill out, kiddo. We're not from around here but we look like people you or your parents might have known."

Tommy glared at Jet suspiciously, "None of us know someone like you, did you do this?"

"What? Me?" Jet looked at Dean and Sam with as much innocence as he could, "I wouldn't do anything strange, would I?"

"Does all the time count?" Sam smiled, getting a bit of a laugh from Dean. "But no, Tommy this is Jet and he's one of our friends. He's very trustworthy so don't worry about him, okay? He's not lying either, we're dimension travellers."

Tommy's face flinched a little with recognition, "Well... my parents had a run in with something like that a long time ago..." his expression softened a little though he was still extremely distrusting. "I'm going to take you to him but I swear, if you do anything I will slaughter you. Don't think for a second that I won't."

"You allow murder in this world?" Dean tried to shrug it off like nothing though he would've been lying if he said it didn't unnerve him a little. The guy was so young looking and yet he still threatened a life like a pro.

"Weird dimension travellers? Who would know?" Tommy started walking after giving them a slight glare over his shoulder. "I've done it before with a demon so like I said, watch it."

"No problem," Jet sounded surprisingly friendly despite the death threat, "We're not really going to do anything so there's no need for us to worry about it."

Tommy only grunted back as a reply, clearly not sold on the whole thing. Sam caught up to his side, walking slightly behind so as not to look like he were attempting anything, "You're really defensive of your mom, has something happened before?"

"Demons go after mom a lot, or at least they did. It's been a while since we've heard anything, several years since I killed the last one that possessed my brother-in-law. And that last demon had been messing in his life for nearly 15 years before it did anything. There was one several years before that one that also tried to kill him so yeah, I'm a little wary about it. It's been a while and I don't want to risk anything happening now." Tommy explained whilst keeping an eye on Sam though he didn't seem to be as edgy about Sam as he was about Dean and Jet.

Jet leaned over to Dean, "What the hell? Why do they all fall for Sam like that?"

Dean chuckled and shrugged, "Dunno, same reason we do I guess." He looked at Tommy long and hard after the explanation though, wondering what any demon might want with Castiel. He was a friggin' singer, sure he was famous and loved all around the world but he was still just a celebrity. What could they possibly do with Cas? "Hey, Tommy, why would a demon want your mom?"

"If you don't know then I'm not giving it away." Obviously Tommy had that Winchester stubborn streak, something that made Sam laugh. Nature vs. nurture and clearly 'thick-headed and difficult' was a Winchester's natural trait.

"Well then answer this, how is it you can kill demons?" Dean wasn't about to give up; he was a Winchester first after all.

"I'm not all human." The young man gave in a little; Sam figured it was more of a scare tactic. If they didn't know  _what_  he was then maybe he was scarier in their imaginations than real life.

"A supernatural being made up of a human and something else," Jet crossed his arms and looked at the two travelling with him, "Obviously the demons wanted Cas because he was the non-human part of the relationship. So whatever the other half of this kid is must be what Cas is."

"Was. Mom's human now so it doesn't matter anymore."

"But you're not human, right? So you're strong enough to protect her- I mean him?" Dean caught up to Tommy's other side, looking at his face as he led them down the hall and past ridiculous amounts of security. Tommy nodded, meeting Dean's eyes briefly before quickly looking away again, he didn't want to end up trusting them any more than he already was. "You're worried, aren't you? Because you're the only one who can keep him safe?"

"Not exactly, there's Balthazar and Gabriel too." Tommy evidently avoided saying what they were, which only gave away that they must have been the same thing.

Sam furrowed his brow, knowing that he'd heard of Gabriel before and that he was some guy that apparently hooked up with him in other universes. But the name, aside from being a somewhat common name, it could have been more of a clue than anything else. The Gabriel he'd met earlier wasn't the common ethnicity for the name, and it was also the name of an archangel in the Bible. Archangels weren't human and could be considered the opposite of demons, therefore possibly being targets of one. "Are you guys angels, by any chance?"

Tommy looked at him in a way that gave it away immediately though he tried to hide it, "No, where'd you get that?"

"Don't bother, you're as bad at lying as your dad is." Sam chuckled, earning himself a glare from Dean. "And I don't know why you'd hide that, it's pretty cool."

"We did meet a Cas who used to be an angel," Dean added thoughtfully, "He lost his wings too, I wonder why the angels are falling?"

"Probably not connected." Tommy shook his head, "This was kind of a specific incident, the other angels in the area are fine so I doubt it was an epidemic or something. Anyway, we're almost there, you can ask my mom what you need to then you can leave. We don't want trouble around here."

Dean wished he could figure out what exactly had happened to make the kid so protective and defensive. Of course, if he stopped in every single world and tried to figure out the backstory he'd be there for an extremely long period of time. "You sound like you need a vacation, kiddo."

"I'm actually pretty good, we vacation regularly."

"So then you need to relax when you go, you're pretty uptight."

Tommy frowned at him, still skeptical and untrusting, "I don't let my guard down for just anybody, alright? I'm not always like this."

"I'll keep that in mind." Dean smiled at him, figuring that maybe he was getting somewhere on the trust scale. After all, Tommy hadn't shut down and told him to shut up.

_Earlier, elsewhere..._

The performance over and everyone unwinding, Castiel was too excited about his other self. The lighting on stage had made it difficult to see properly but Cas had an idea that the stranger wasn't too different than him. Over two decades, possibly even three, had passed since the last time he had run into another version of himself. Regardless it had been one hell of an experience, he'd thought dealing with a demon the years before was weird but clearly he didn't think outside the box far enough.

Granted the time he'd fallen into an alternate reality was actually an attempt on his life by someone, a friend who claimed to have better intentions. Fun and games wouldn't be how he'd describe it, especially since he'd had to deal with a Dean that was cruel and unloving for a while. Truth be told though it was a way to strengthen his own relationship, it showed him how much his Dean really loved him and missed him.

So, since there was a new Castiel visiting  _him_  that time, he couldn't just pass it up and ignore it. "Damn, you really do look like me." Castiel circled the priest, looking him over thoroughly as he did so. "You've got the hair, the eyes, and the body. Hell, you can move too. Who are you? Are you from another dimension?"

"You… know about that?" Cas watched himself carefully though he wasn't too scared about a celebrity. The first world he'd gone to with his new companions had a Castiel that had experienced some form of time travel, this one could have possibly dealt with dimensions. It wasn't that much of a stretch, though Cas wasn't exactly comfortable with the thought of people skipping over to other dimensions on their own. It felt unstable to him, they had no training to do it and no guidance, how easily they could be lost to the void was extremely high, it would screw up their world indefinitely.

"We've dealt with some dimensional messy crap before," The singer muttered the words that Cas had been hoping to not hear as the celebrity lifted up the back of his alternate self's coat.

"Hey!"

"Just checking something, calm down."

"What the hell are you checking, my ass?!"

Cas chuckled and nodded, "Exactly what I'm looking at."

The priest pulled away and adjusted his jacket with a light huff; he wasn't sure how he felt about this one. "This isn't a joke, my being here is a symbol that something is wrong with your world."

"Never said it was a joke, just wanted to know if you were as similar as the last me I ran into." He paused and looked the priest up and down again, his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. "Are you an angel too?" Apparently he wasn't too worried about the possibility of a threat.

"Angel? No. I'm a High Priest of The Faith, I-"

"What's 'The faith'?" As well he was far too used to being the center of attention. At least the last singer they'd come across was a great listener; this one was a full-tale diva.

"It's what we call the belief and knowledge of certain things." Castiel wasn't exactly in the mood for exposition but the expression he met indicated that his other self wasn't about to let him escape with that answer. "Basically there are hundreds of thousands of different dimensions and realities all on the main timeline, they each technically have their own timeline but all are connected to the main one. Just like they have their own dimensions they're still all connected in some way to the mainline, the Faith is knowing this, believing in this. The Faith is knowing that there are higher entities above even the Gods of the dimensions; as well it's knowing that these entities have a hand in the fate of the worlds. It's a sort of religion as well as a way of life, not so much a creation story as it is a cycle."

"So it's kind of like a library." The performer Castiel nodded in understanding, "Each book is a dimension and they're all on the shelves of the library. The shelves are the roads connecting them and the library is this 'mainline' dimension that holds all of it. That's pretty crazy… I'd say too crazy for me but you're standing right here so… I don't know what I can say to that really."

"I guess you could see it like that, yes." The priest folded his arms over his chest and leaned against a wall, "A High Priest is a person that works for those entities I spoke of. They always come in pairs and take care of the dimensional problems that occur. Imagine if the library was on top of a pit with monsters lurking, and those monsters were able to get inside any world in any book if it were open to them. The high priests are the ones sent to remove those creatures and fix the world the book's story was originally supposed to be in."

"What monsters are you talking about? I haven't seen anything here."

"Well… I may have exaggerated." He looked away somewhat sheepishly, "The fires leading us to this world were much weaker and of a different colour. This basically means that you're at risk but I don't think anything's here. My team wanted to take a short break, we've had a hard time lately…" He felt silly saying it, like they were burdened with saving the universe and they got tired so clearly it was time to take an easy job despite there being several other places they could have gone. In the time he'd worked alone he rarely took a break, it took long enough in some worlds to find the damned void monsters that he didn't feel he needed any down time. On top of that, after joining with Dean and the others, they spent more time  _finding_  one another that he felt like it made even less sense. But judging by his counter part's expression he figured maybe he was the only one who thought so.

"How long have you been at this?" The singer sounded sympathetic if nothing else, it was that they were in a world with friendly people again. The wasteland wasn't something he'd ever want to visit again if he had a choice.

"Myself personally? I believe it's been hundreds of years, I haven't kept track as much as I probably should have. The others have been with me for much less. I'd say a few months at the most. Maybe two." He smiled; it still felt like longer than that. Like Dean had been there, always with him and ready to catch him. He was living those years alone in search of one person and now it didn't matter how long things took, how far they'd go, as long as they were all together. He'd never trade Sam in, he'd never tell Jet to go home, he was far too used to his new family.

"That's a really long time to be alone," The sound of the other Castiel's voice was somewhat disheartened, his face full of sympathy and sadness. "How are you holding up? Is it weird to be with others now?"

"I… Sometimes? It was harder before; I had a hard time talking to them. Now… I don't know, I don't know how I managed to do any of this on my own, especially for that long. I start to miss them, for example right now I wish they were here."

"You're in love."

"Excuse me?" The priest looked at his alternate self's smiling face, his own mostly surprised.

"You're in love with one of them, Dean I'm assuming."

While it was true, Castiel couldn't believe it was that obvious on his face. Was every other Castiel extremely perceptive or was he just really ignorant? Regardless of that answer it wasn't all that relevant. "Well, yes I am… Is it that obvious?"

"You have no idea. I know the love struck look too well, I had it for a really long while, still do though it changes after a period of time. Kids will do that."

The priest paused and furrowed his brow, looking over at himself a little more seriously now. "Did you say… kids?"

"Yeah, Dean and I had one and we sort of helped raise some orphans along the way too. You'll meet Tommy soon, I'm sure he'll be here any moment." The singer grinned from ear to ear at the way his dimension travelling guest paled and went through a series of expressions before settling on neutral.

"…kids…" Castiel repeated again, this time to himself and a little more thoughtful. Of course thoughtful or not he couldn't hide the tinge of fear lurking in his mind. He and Dean? Kids? What on earth would their son look like? What would Dean say? Cas didn't even know what kind of father he'd make. Not that it was  _his_  kid, but it was kind of his kid. "What do I say to him?"

"To Tommy?"

"No, Dean. He's probably freaking out right now."

"So are you. Just say whatever comes to mind, you guys'll work through it." The singer smiled and stood up, "I gotta make a phone call, my baby's probably upset I haven't done it yet."

"Dean?"

"Yep, who else?" He gave a wink before fishing out his phone and wandering a little ways off.

Castiel remained seated and thinking, his eyes only getting wider when he heard the door behind him open. "Mom?" A voice that sounded like it would be somewhat familiar, a sort of mix between him and Dean but younger. Cas glanced over to the door and tightened his jaw when he saw his Dean approaching.


	39. PMA: If I Could Walk On Water

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 3**

The rock star smiled at his son and gave him a 'one minute sign' with his index finger and pointed toward the phone, Tommy pursed his lips but nodded all the same. "Okay, well mom will be done in a second." He looked over at Dean who, to his surprise, was more interested in the stranger on the couch. Tommy looked at his mother's doppelganger curiously, he'd heard the stories of alternate dimensions but he had never seen someone who looked exactly the same. Aside from the age difference, though to be fair being part angel was one hell of a crutch.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean sat down next to his partner who quickly looked away and nodded silently. "Were you stuck in that box the whole time? Also I didn't know you could dance like that." Dean tried to move into Castiel's line of sight but the other priest looked away further so as not to have to take part in eye contact.

"Yes, well I wasn't too worried about the box. I mean it was a bit confusing, I wasn't sure where I was but we always seem to find one another so I hadn't seen a reason to panic. Not to mention Jet picked a world without any signs of the void, I kind of feel like we're wasting time-"

"Cas," Dean reached over and turned Castiel's face so he could see it, "We talked about this already, you even said you needed a break."

"Well I… this isn't exactly a break is it?" Castiel pointed over at Tommy, "That's a child between an alternate you and me, does that not make feel a little weird? I'm stressing out here."

Dean glanced at Tommy, who was busy trying to get the other Castiel's attention, and shrugged, "Well I hadn't expected it but really he's kind of cute."

Cas felt his cheeks heating up the longer he looked at Dean, he'd never pictured himself having a family like that and to hear Dean say that a child between them was cute made the strangest tingling feelings inside him. "I… I don't know what to say to that really…"

"You don't have to say anything, just try and relax a little." Dean grinned at him and before Cas could respond the singer had finished phone call home.

"Okay, you're all in luck," He gave Dean a quick wink, just a little something to remind him of the time they'd spent on stage together, "Our little family had been planning a celebration day and you've all shown up just in time for it." Cas ruffled Tommy's hair as he passed him by, "Dean's said that we've got more than enough room for four extra people and he's kind of interested in meeting you all."

"Dad's actually okay with this?" Tommy looked a tad surprised, "Doesn't he normally just want you to himself?"

"You know your dad has gotten better with that," Cas scolded lightly, a knowing smile on his face, "Besides, a whole day of fun and socializing was your dad's idea so don't give me that."

Tommy shrugged and found a spot to sit down, keeping an eye on the four strangers that gathered together. They seemed pretty tight-knit, like any kind of dangerous vibe he'd been getting from them vanished once they found their Cas. "You guys gonna stick around for tomorrow?" He asked somewhat awkwardly, still not sure if he liked them or not.

"I think yes, it's exactly what we were looking for." Sam looked to his brother and Cas first then to Jet who was standing next to him. They all nodded in agreement, "Good pick, Jet."

"Thanks, I'd like to say I'm good like that but really I had no idea." Jet chuckled, glancing up toward the door as it opened again, the other members of the band filing in.

"Cas!" Gabriel hung off his lead singer's shoulder and gave him a big squeeze, "Man you were awesome out there,"

"Thanks, you too." Cas gave Gabe a light peck on the cheek, his version of a returned hug, "I can't believe we haven't done it in so long and we can still rock the house."

"I'm not surprised," Balthazar settled next to Dean on the couch, not at all disturbed by their presence, nor did he care for personal space. "We've always been good and Cas sings every opportunity he gets."

"Doesn't mean  _we_  aren't out of practice," Anna pointed out as she sat on the armrest, leaning her elbow on Balthazar's head. "Pretty sure I heard you screw up back there, Balthy."

"Silence, wench." Balthazar muttered into his glass of what Dean and the others assumed to be wine.

"Guys, if you hadn't noticed already," Cas pointed at the four dimension travellers, "We've got alternate reality guests with us. Another Dean, another me, another Sam, and that one there is… Jet I assume? Sam called you Jet so that's what I'll go with."

"Yeah that's Jet," Tommy sounded a little exasperated which hadn't quite prompted a response from Jet though he did make a face in the kid's general direction.

"Nice to meet you guys," Gabriel gave a quick wave, a little energetic to be sure. "Sammy, lookin' good. Weird not seeing the side-burns of destiny on your face."

Sam furrowed his brow and glared over at Dean the second he heard his brother snorting back a laugh. "You and the Sam in this world aren't together, are you?" He had to ask, it all sounded so weird to him and truth be told Castiel's story about the last Gabriel hadn't exactly set his mind at ease about this Gabriel guy.

"Me and Sam? Hell no!" Gabe immediately stepped away and stopped looking at Sam indefinitely, "Geez man, weird."

Jet smirked but didn't say anything about it, instead he looked over at the lead singer who had unwound from his performance clothing and into a loose, white button up shirt. "What's the plan for tomorrow exactly?"

"Start the day off by going to the beach, have picnics in the attached park, play around, do whatever. Might go bowling or play some mini-golf if time permits, but mostly in the evening we're basically setting up a social. There'll be drinking, dancing, a lot of food, that's about it. You'd be surprised but keeping things mostly simple makes it better." Cas smiled at him, "Gives us a lot of time to just relax and talk."

"Whatever," Tommy grinned, "You're just getting old."

"Watch it," Cas used a warning tone that most people would only equate with a parents' and really, it sounded perfectly normal coming from him.

Dean leaned back on the couch and sighed lightly, wanting to put his arm around his Castiel but deciding against it. "Sounds like a lot of fun, if you ask me. We'll probably need summery clothes for it, I don't want to go to the beach in my trench coat."

"Just reach into the coat and take what you need." His partner reminded him, poking him in the forehead.

"You know I kinda forgot about that. Do I just imagine it like I do my weapon?"

"Sort of. It's a little more complex than that, but if you want to simplify it then yes? We're equipped with just about anything so if you imagine it something similar will come to you. I can't guarantee it'll look the way you picture it but it does the job."

"So basically you guys are carrying everything but the kitchen sink?" Jet raised an eyebrow and nudged Dean's shoulder, "Dude, give me a sandwich."

"Get your own goddamn sandwich." Dean smacked his friend's hand away.

"But I'm hungry! Give me a sandwich."

Sam rolled his eyes and shoved Jet over, "Anyway, thank you for inviting us." He looked to Castiel and Tommy with as welcoming a smile he could muster despite the idiotic company he seemed to be keeping. "We really appreciate it."

"No problem, we're more than happy to have you." The singer beamed at them, "Now come on, let's get going."

"I'll take that as my hint," Balthazar sighed and stood up, taking hold of the two priests, "Gabriel get the other two."

"I can take those ones," Gabriel argued as he walked over, earning himself a look from Balthazar. "Dean and the weird guy?" Still staring. "Cas and the weird guy?"

"Jet. My name is Jet." The voice accompanying the words was flat and unhumored.

"Just grab Sam and let's go." Balthazar rolled his eyes, Anna taking hold of him as he all but vanished.

"Whoa…" Sam stared wide-eyed at where Dean and Cas had been standing moments before, "Did… did he just… Where did they go?"

"They flew home, now come here." Gabriel grabbed the two of them, glancing over at Cas and Tommy right before Balthazar returned for them, "Oh good, I thought you were going to force me to make two trips too."

"Not  _that_  mean, am I?" Balthazar gave a sassy little smile before flying away again, this time Gabriel right behind him.

The house they entered was enormous and beautiful. The ceilings were high, the floor was polished, there were decorative vases all over the place. And Dean was pretty damn sure he saw a statue. "How did we get here so fast?"

"Flew you." Balthazar smiled as he reappeared alongside Gabriel and the rest of the people that had been in the room. Dean looked at Sam's bewildered face and knew that at least he wasn't the only one.

"This place is amazing…" Sam exhaled as he looked at the décor and everything in general. It really was a nice place, like living in a palace. "Why is it so big?"

"Because mom's a drama queen, that's why." Tommy chuckled, "Ours is pretty nice too, right down the road there." He pointed out the window toward the neighbouring property that looked about the same, except perhaps a little more modern.

"Damn…" Jet eyed what looked like a family portrait, "Did you guys get this  _fucking painted!?_ " He walked up to it to get a closer look, "Seriously?"

"Actually the artist asked us if he could do it," Castiel pointed out, "He's one of the boys that lives down the road with Tommy. Really amazing with a brush, he just had to look at us a few times, I don't think those were the faces we were making while we stood there either."

"He's good." Sam marveled alongside Jet's awestruck self.

As they all stood impressed by the house a few more people entered the room, the sound of general surprise coming in a short wave. "What's going on?" It was Sam's voice but he definitely sounded older. The travellers turned to look and suffice to say none of them were expecting him to look the way he did. There was at  _least_  a ten-year difference between him and their Sam, not to mention he looked like he meant business.

"Dean didn't say, did he?" The singer sighed heavily and walked over to his brother in-law. "They're from a different dimension and I'd asked Dean if they could join us for tomorrow. He said yes, I assumed he'd tell you."

"Of course he wouldn't, Dean would much prefer I get the surprise on my own." Sam rolled his eyes and looked back at them, his younger self more than the rest. "Welcome to the house guys, let me show you to the guest rooms."

Dean looked at the others who shrugged in return; he couldn't help but laugh at Jet's face though. It was a mixture of shock, awe, and 'holy shit your brother wears old like it's his bitch.' "You okay there Jet?" He asked as they followed the older Sam down the hall.

"I swear to god I'm going to age like a potato while the rest of you fuckers do it like wine." Jet grumbled, the little break in his voice telling more about how he tried not to laugh than anything else.

"Don't be silly, Jet. You're already pretty old and you look fine." Cas grinned, high-fiving Sam immediately after.

"Jet and I are the same age!" Dean protested loudly, looking back at Castiel's 'I'm innocent' face.

"Well… you too then."

Both Sam's chuckled and it was still strange to get it in stereo like that, regardless of how many Sam's they had met throughout their travels.

As they walked the halls of the grandiose building they heard the voice of another Dean, the older one and as much as the priest Dean would have wanted to completely ignore it, he couldn't. He perked up because he wanted to see what he'd look like, how he'd age and if he should possibly buy a paper bag for his face. Needless to say he wasn't disappointed. The older male walked out of a room with a few others they didn't recognize, he looked up and smiled a little bit.

"Dimension travelers?"

"That's us." Castiel answered for them, stepping forward to shake his hand, his face was a mix of emotion that was making his partner a little jealous. "It's very kind of you all to let us stay here, even more so to allow us to join you tomorrow."

"Don't mention it," Dean shrugged and looked over to his husband, the performer offering a smile in return. "We couldn't go and have a good time knowing we'd just left a bunch of new comers like that. Not in our nature I guess." He looked them all over, giving Sam a small chuckle, "You're so skinny, I forgot what it's like when you're not a moose."

Sam made a face at him but left it at that, he wasn't the moose Dean was referring to. "Jet and I are still going to need something for the beach, we can't just pull stuff out of thin air."

"Don't you worry about that," The singer piped in again, "You all should just get some rest, I'll take care of everything else."

"By that he means me and Balthazar!" Gabriel shouted out to them from the other floor.

Ignoring him Cas just continued to smile, it really felt like they were in a home, surrounded by one big family. Dean looked to his brother and noticed the same kind of expression, it was like they were at the picnic they'd held for their parents. The ten year anniversary of their death and it still hurt to think about it, that picnic had been fun but it reminded them of a family they hadn't quite had. Aside from Bobby, and Ellen letting them into their lives. That had been a blessing and Dean missed it, missed them and their bickering, missed the life he'd grown up in.

And yet, seeing Castiel's face, the subtle expressions he made, and hearing his voices, the little inflections in his tone, all which indicated how happy he was, Dean would never go back. Not if he couldn't take Castiel with him. He took his partner's hand and held it tightly as they moved to the spare bedrooms, "Cas," he whispered softly, the other priest looking at him like it was the most natural thing. "Stay in my room tonight?"

Castiel stared and he looked like the world passed through his mind, full of questions and what if's and possibilities that could never be answered. "Yes." He finally replied, his chest moving a little heavier as he inhaled around a lump in his throat. "I will."

"You two sharing a bed too, then?" The other Castiel looked to Sam and Jet who both immediately shook their heads.

"We're good." Sam smiled and walked into his separate room, calling a good night over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Jet smiled in a way that said much more than his words really could, his eyes scanning over Sam's door before he walked to his own room. "Don't screw up, Dean!" He said as he closed his door, laughing at the 'shut up Jet' that had to follow.

The guests all disappeared, the alternate versions of Dean and Castiel grinning in the empty hallway. "It's just so freaking cute, isn't it? They don't know they're in love yet."

"I think Dean and Cas know." Dean started going toward their own room, taking his lover's hand to lead him.

"I mean Sam and the other one. Dean and Cas know, they just need to get it on."

"Let's hope their first time isn't here, might get loud."

"I don't think they're quite there yet, that relationship looks like it's moving a lot slower than ours did."


	40. PMA: Make You Believe

_Fragments of Memories: Primary World_

_Sam dropped onto the couch and rolled over, facing toward the TV but not really watching it. The news was on though he didn't care what they had to say. He'd just finished the final exam in high school and he was exhausted, studying could really take its toll. Sam knew that graduation would be about a week away and that he'd have to remind Dean of that day because his brother seemed to forget important dates. Maybe it was a joke that Dean held up consistently or maybe it was true, regardless it was annoying._

_As Sam dreaded having to remind Dean about his graduation and that they'd be busy running around all day following the schedule, he heard the door open. Familiar voices, Dean and Jet bickering about something as they entered the house. Sam frowned when he heard the chatter slow down for a second as Jet leaned over the couch just to mess up his hair._

" _Hey kiddo," Jet grinned down at him, "Napping on the couch?"_

" _No, just resting. Had a tough exam today." Sam sat up and fixed the mess Jet had made, staring blankly at the TV as if it were some excuse not to look up again._

" _For you? Doubt it." Dean dropped into the armchair and leaned back, his arms crossing behind his head. "Studying wears you out, not the test."_

" _Graduating on Tuesday, you excited?" Jet took his place next to Sam, getting just as comfortable as Dean._

" _That's next Tuesday?" Dean looked just as 'deer-in-the-headlights' as Sam had predicted. However he wasn't really noting that as important, what really got him was that Jet of all people remembered when it was._

_Sam looked at him, a little surprised, and nodded. "Yeah, Tuesday. Meeting at the school for the ceremony just after noon, it'll take a few hours after which we have an hour to get over to the community center for the dinner."_

" _Full day. I remember that," Jet looked over at Dean with a laugh, "Damn did we hate it. Running around in our monkey suits all frickin' day."_

" _God," Dean shook his head and laughed alongside his friend, "I almost ruined mine too, just about got into a fight with Michael."_

" _Douchebag."_

" _Damn right he was."_

_Sam smiled and relaxed, somehow the day just seemed a bit lighter._

* * *

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 4**

Sam sat down in his bedroom, the bed being the nicest most comfortable thing he'd ever seen, especially after the whole wasteland incident. He stared across the room though it didn't really feel like there was anything to look at. He'd had the journal far too long to not look at it again, he'd read the last entry the other him had made and that was it. Had they visited a world like this before? He couldn't really be sure until he read it. He lifted it from the back of his pants, having strapped it down with his belt, and turned it over in his hands a few times.

Whatever he'd read in there would undoubtedly change what would happen next, that was the entire point of giving him the journal to begin with, it had to be. If the celestials hadn't wanted them to know they'd never have given him the journal of the previous Sam.

On top of that, the other timeline, the corrupted one, it was supposed to be the main timeline, the one meant for all of the things they were facing. Did that make them second rate? Or just as good? Perhaps better… Sam had no idea, he had no answers and the more he tried to find them the more questions he realized there were. He opened the binding and started to read, past the first demoni, the raptoribus, aers, domus, and anima. He read through the portion of Dean's training, where the other him had sat with the other Castiel and Jet with the celestial beings. He found that while a lot of it was just exposition and descriptions of monsters there were some journal-esque entries, describing particular things that seemed odd to the other Sam. Entries where he'd speak to whoever would read the journal, describe a situation rather than a creature. Most of it lined up with what he'd experienced up until Dean's magical training.

The celestial beings described in that section of the journal were entirely different than the ones they had seen. There were no magical altering spaces to make them appear bigger, to change their voices, or even anything to hide their faces. The celestials were described to be as white as paper with absolutely no colourization to them. Their faces were as neutral as a human face could look, when their eyes were open those were as white as the rest of them, and they could stand as still as stone. The alternate Sam had originally mistaken them for three identical creepy statues. At least until they started to speak, voices that echoed throughout the room and even seemed multi-toned.

Sam stared at the description, reading it over and over again. Why were they different? Why were the celestials they met so different to the ones described in the original timeline? The ones that he knew wore the same white garments however they'd wrapped them around their faces and used hooded cowls to cover the rest. Their skin had pigment like any human and the three were different sizes, not at all the same. The voice thing was similar, but again it sounded more like the original voice had been scrambled and masked, like the different celestials were trying to mimic the original.

' _Even if the timeline resets and changes, the celestials should be the same. The people shouldn't change, so why did they? I wonder if this has something to do with the other timeline's Dean disappearing…'_  He remembered the last journal entry when Jet read it to them; it was strange and filled with holes. He read through it again.

_I'm still not sure how to tell when a day goes by in here or if it does at all, regardless we've been waiting on the mainline road for ages. I still can't believe he did it, what were you thinking Dean? Did you just let go? Was it so hard to just keep going? Take the chance? I guess maybe it was for you. Cas hasn't woken up yet; I don't think he will… Maybe I'm just losing hope in this mess. The magic surge that went through him was strong; I think some of it passed to Jet and I too… Was that you, Dean? I don't know why I'm writing this down, either. Maybe I think you'll read this some day Dean, if you're still out there. I'm done with it. The entire mainline went out, the fires have gone and nothing is moving anymore, not even the void. We're stuck, that's it… Can't even ask any higher powers for help, they didn't come back after that, Dean. You were right, it killed them. I guess immortal wasn't something they told us they were either…_

The Castiel in the other timeline had fallen unconscious. Dean went missing after claiming that  _something_  would kill the 'higher powers.'  _'He has to be talking about the celestial beings. So the Dean in the other timeline sacrificed himself? Why? To kill the celestials?'_  Sam thought frustratedly, reading it again just to make sure he'd gotten everything. He remembered after they'd first read through it Castiel had suggested that their group had killed the holy beings. Sam had denied it then, saying something must have resulted in their deaths but no, it didn't sound right. It sounded like Dean had killed them, like Dean died to do it. The text the other Sam wrote about the whole thing made it seem like it was obvious. He made Dean sound like a coward, he made it sound like Castiel had died, that some magical surge blasted through them all and it was obvious it had touched Jet and himself. Dean was right. Dean had had an idea that would kill them? Or he knew about the situation that would lead to it? All the things in that entry had to be connected. It sounded like the Dean had given up, but maybe it just looked that way to the other Sam. He knew that if his brother recklessly ran into sacrifice himself for something he'd be pissed, especially if they weren't sure it'd work. Sounded about right, he'd definitely question it despite it doing the job they'd needed it to do.

It made even more sense that Dean would do it, too. If they were in a situation that the death of one of them was necessary to save their lives,  _Castiel's_  life, Dean would do it. Sam chewed on the inside of his cheek as he stared at the pages, wondering what could have led them there, what could have brought them to that point. The previous entries for several pages back were all monsters, nothing telling him why. Nonetheless he'd believe he found the answer to it, Dean sacrificed to kill the celestials, to save his family.

"Okay," He sighed out loud and laid back on the bed, holding the open journal above his face hoping maybe something would come to him. "Now why did Dean have to kill the celestials? What were they doing that was so wrong? Why would they try to hurt the rest of us?"

"You think too much sometimes, you know that?" Jet spoke from the doorway where Sam hadn't realized he'd entered.

Sam sat up and dropped the journal down beside him, letting it fall open to whatever page it wanted, "I guess. Am I keeping you up? Didn't know the walls were so thin."

"Nah, I couldn't sleep and went for a walk, heard you talking." Jet ran a hand up through his hair, "Mind if I sit?"

Sam shook his head and hopped over, letting Jet sit beside him on the bed, door closed behind him of course. The older male reached over and plucked the journal up and sifted through it without much of a word. Sam watched him and sighed, dropping backwards again. "I can't quite make sense of what happened…"

"Well no, all you'll have are guesses until we manage to see the celestials again to ask. Nothing in here is made to answer all your questions." Jet muttered as he came across a page that looked more like the last one. "Huh… 'The Prophesy'."

"The what?" Sam sat up and leaned over to look, resting against Jet's arm to prop himself up.

"The prophesy, the other Sam wrote about it here.  _'We're in the world In Somniantes, the one that Cas said he was originally from. We came across another pair of priests; they told us that there was a prophecy, that one of the priests in the prophecy was supposedly meant to wake in In Somniantes. This obviously means that Castiel is part of something prophesied, I'll write it down once I get more.'_ " Jet read it through, pausing to look at Sam who was already making grabby hands for the journal. He handed it over and let Sam read through the rest himself.

"' _The Prophecy; when the Void moves the High Priests will awaken. High Priest pairs wake one at a time; the first goes on to find their partner. The last pair of priests will be the strongest of all and bring about the end of the corruption. The first to wake from In Somniantes will wield magic higher than all; the last will wake from Aeterna and possess physical strength beyond all high priests.'_  So this prophecy even tells them where to find the priests?" Sam looked up at Jet who shrugged in return.

"I guess, looks like the world we came from was called Aeterna in High Priest-speak. The hell does that mean?"

"I think it means eternal," Sam murmured as he skimmed through the next entries, again they were monster descriptions. "So I need to tell Dean and Cas, this'll be really useful."

"Let's wait until after tomorrow, hm?" Jet stood up and stretched, "We're supposed to be relaxing."

"How can we relax when we know the world is danger? It all seems too laid back…" Sam closed the journal and put it down, knowing he'd pick it up to read again once Jet had gone. In fact, Jet had only been in there a few minutes, which was curious in itself. "Why are you in here, anyway?"

"I told you, went for a walk and heard you talking." Jet went back toward the door, only looking back at Sam once he'd opened it again.

"But why'd you only stay for a few minutes?" Sam couldn't think of a subtler way to ask, he was too tired and his brain felt dried out. "There's gotta be more you wanted to say."

Jet smiled in a way that made Sam even more confused. It wasn't a look he was used to and at the same time it was all too familiar. The expression was the same caring one he'd always given Sam, but the way he'd delivered it this time was different. "Get some sleep, we're hitting the beach tomorrow." Jet offered one more smile and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Sam looked at the time and sighed, knowing Jet was probably right, he would need to be rested for the next day. "What is going on? Everything's getting so messed up." He muttered to himself as he dropped onto the pillow, curling up and burying himself under the blanket.


	41. PMA: Make You Forget

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 5**

They had walked into their room and immediately Dean dropped onto the bed, burying his face into the pillows. "It's so freaking soft." He droned into the plush, silky material below him. Cas chuckled and sat down to rest by the window, staring out at the yard and landscape around them.

"These people really know how to live, huh?" He muttered mostly to himself, not really caring if Dean answered or not.

"I suppose," Dean sat up and smiled over at Cas. "I'm pretty happy with how we're doing it."

Castiel looked at him briefly with a smile of his own before turning back to the scenery below. It was an amazing view and truth be told, despite having seen so much already, Cas still enjoyed a good view. He smiled quietly to himself as he turned back to see Dean snuggling into the blankets. "Things have gone well for us so far," He said softly, getting up and walking over to the empty side of the bed. He hadn't shared a bed with Dean in centuries, Cas couldn't help but hesitate.

Dean hadn't missed Cas' behaviour, though. It was nervous, scared, excited, and a number of other little things Dean didn't care to identify. "What makes you say that?" He wanted to help Cas relax but not bombard him with 'I know you're worried' and crap like that. Instead he humoured the conversation.

"No one's died." Castiel said simply, daring to sit on the edge of the bed. He stared longingly at the pillow for a moment to collect his thoughts. He looked sad, like he always fucking did when thinking about his dead husband and it was driving Dean insane. He wanted to help, he wanted to make it all better and throw out all the problems he'd ever seen on Castiel's face. But he couldn't think of a damn thing to make it go away. He felt his limbs go tense for a moment as he watched Cas' features shift through countless emotions, he couldn't take it, hearing Cas think like that. Dean reached over and pulled Castiel into the bed next to him, holding Cas close and firm against him.

"Calm down, okay?" He whispered into the back of Castiel's head, closing his eyes against the soft, dark hair.

Cas shook a little; unable to pull away, not that he'd tried. He curled in on himself as Dean wrapped him up, "I'm sorry." He squeaked out the words like they were trying to stay in his throat. "I just..."

"You can't help it, I know." Dean gently massaged Castiel's side, petting down from his shoulder to his hip and back again. "You really loved him, after all this time you haven't stopped." Dean sighed softly and gave a light kiss to Castiel's neck.

"Does it bother you?" Cas' voice was barely audible as he swallowed past a growing lump in his throat.

"Not even a little." Dean continued to trail gentle kisses along Castiel's neck and shoulder, soft and unintrusive to keep the hormones and innuendos out of the mix. The last thing he wanted was to set Castiel off in a bad way. "It actually makes me love you more."

Cas relaxed a little and uncurled from his little ball. He turned his head and looked over Dean's face carefully. "Why?"

"It shows me how much you care, how deeply you can and I want nothing more than for that love to be mine."

Cas felt a warm tingling in his limbs and a familiar sting behind his eyes, "Dean..." He whispered hoarsely, rolling over to face Dean directly. Cas wrapped his arms around Dean and buried his face against the man who had done more for him than he'd ever thought possible. "It is." He managed to say it, to give Dean something he'd been choking on for what felt like forever. "I've been thinking about this, us, a lot. I've fought with myself over it for a while now."

Dean lifted Cas' face up so he could see it, "Fighting over it?"

"Yes," Cas swallowed again and laughed quietly, "I've had nightmares about him, he says things like 'how dare you forget me' and that I never loved him. I know why it's happening, it's because I've been letting it go. I'm falling in love again." Cas' lower lip trembled as he smiled up at Dean, "My memory of him is fighting me because I feel guilty, like I should never love another because it means betrayal. But that isn't true, I know that."

Dean recognized when Castiel was babbling but he didn't quite want to stop it just yet. Cas tended to let things out this way, to vent and eventually feel better about it. Dean didn't see any signs of a mental breakdown so he let Castiel breathe and find his footing again. "So your own mind is fighting back," he exhaled slowly and ran a hand through Cas' hair, carefully stroking it back. "How are the nightmares now?"

"Easier," Cas sighed and closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy Dean's touch. "I'm sorry if this is all too much for you."

"Not at all, Cas. Even if it were," Dean kissed Castiel's cheek and smiled at the little blush that bloomed there, "You'd be worth it."

Castiel laughed softly and leaned up to kiss Dean on the lips, holding it for as long as he could manage. Dean's arms felt stronger as they pulled in against each other, the air around them felt easier to breathe the closer they were, and Castiel knew he could just as easily lose time with this man. Dean didn't want the embrace end, melting into Castiel's kiss like it was life sustaining and all he'd ever need until the end of his days. However they couldn't keep it up forever, breathing did get a little heavier the longer their lips were locked. They pulled back, barely enough space for a real breath, looking into one another's eyes as they gasped. Skin still brushing over the other, eyes refusing to look away, Dean could feel it; deep in his core he could feel that Castiel was the one. It didn't matter what destiny said or the celestials telling him they were partners. Dean could see it all on his own and that's what really mattered.

"I love you, Cas." He wished there were stronger words for it but seeing Castiel's face he knew his partner could see it.

"I love you too, Dean. Forever."

They took to kissing again, an action they felt necessary, something neither wanted to stop. Their hands brushed over each other's bodies but nothing more than a subtle exploring touch. A passionate and moving make-out session that dissolved and slowed down in the twilight, it led to them sleeping nose-to-nose and wrapped in the arms of someone who loved them.

* * *

Commotion downstairs, loud speaking and laughter echoing throughout the halls, it was an unusual sound that startled them awake. Dean shifted in the bed, unused to sleeping with someone else and accidentally shoved Castiel nearly off the bed. Cas flinched and latched onto the sheets, luckily for him the other half was under Dean and acted as an anchor. He would have been angry about it but instead he crawled back into his spot and tried to nest there again. No luck for him that morning, Dean stretched out and as easily as knocking a poodle off the bed Castiel fell over the edge.

"Son of a bitch!" he cursed, glaring up at Dean's face that had appeared, shocked and completely startled at Castiel's outburst.

"What're you doing down there?" Dean asked sleepily, getting over his own sudden shock into waking.

"You knocked me off the bed, you asshole." Cas growled, swatting up at his partner who easily moved aside to dodge it.

"You should've held on tighter." Dean didn't skip a beat as he reached down to help Cas up.

Castiel tried to remain angry as his chest shook with laughter, "Shut up, dick." He took Dean's hand but instead of pulling himself up he yanked Dean down, the other priest tumbling and landing on him with a thud.

"Bitch!" Dean cried, grabbing a pillow and smacking Cas with it.

Downstairs Jet sat at the breakfast table with most of the other world group. He smiled at the family feeling the place held, like it was in a constant state of family gathering (and not the sucky kind). Castiel and Dean had an adorable dynamic together; the 'old married couple' fights they got into, all the way to their sweet loving moments, and everything in between. He loved seeing it. It was like a little light at the end of the tunnel, seeing what it could be like when everything was over. Granted it felt like it had just begun, there were countless worlds out there in need of cleansing and really Jet didn't see an end in sight.

Sam walked over and sat next to him, a long and drawn out yawn activating its contagious effect and causing a few others to do the same. "Morning." He rubbed at his eyes and slumped back in his chair.

Jet looked at him and rolled his eyes, "Sleep at all?"

"A bit." Sam smirked at him, "Got at least five hours, don't worry about it."

"Well that's actually not so bad," Castiel grinned from beside his husband as some others Sam and Jet didn't recognize set the table for breakfast. "Sleepless nights can make some of the best memories."

"Well it's not like I was partying." Sam furrowed his brow and looked down at the coffee poured for him.

The other Sam looked him over a moment before deciding on anything to say, "Sleepless nights can also be the nights you get the most work done. Did you find anything important out?"

"I did, actually." Sam and Jet exchanged a glance briefly, and though Cas wanted to infer that they'd done a little relationship discovery he could tell by their faces that that couldn't possibly have been the case.

"Like what?" He asked anyway, hoping maybe they were just too tired to show some kind of excitement over something.

"Like our mission is a lot messier than we thought." Jet took a sip from his coffee, letting his finger trace the polished material of the mug as he put it back down. "But don't let Dean and Cas know about it, okay? We'll tell them when our little vacation's over."

"You have my word," Cas nodded, glancing up toward the entrance as Tommy wandered in, bedhead and all. "My god, you woke up before two in the afternoon." He gasped playfully; cracking up at the glare his son gave him.

"You're one to talk, mom."

Jet chuckled, "Still not used to that."

Castiel smiled, "A lot of people seem to find it weird. I don't really care though, I like it." He ruffled up Tommy's hair as the young man walked by, furthering the angry look on his face. "Come on, don't be so sour about it. Today's a happy day."

"I'm working on it, give me like an hour and I'll be fine." Tommy groaned as he sat down, moving aside to let someone reach past him to put a plate down. "Thanks Auntie Bela." He yawned again, covering his mouth with the back of his hand

"You're welcome," She smiled and messed up his hair as well, giggling when he made the grumpiest sound.

Sam raised an eyebrow and looked over at his older self, 'Auntie' meant that she was either a sister to the other Castiel or, more likely, she was married to Dean's brother. "You're married?" He asked, his older self-turning to look at him.

"Yes I am, this is Bela and our son will be down shortly."

"Son...?" Sam repeated it a little awkwardly, "You have kids too?" He tried to ignore Jet's snickering but it was kind of hard when the other male was jabbing him in the side with a finger.

"His name's Charlie," The other Sam nodded, glancing up toward the stairs hoping maybe his kid would make an on cue appearance. No such luck of course. "Tommy's age, a few months younger."

"That's kind of crazy," Jet leaned back in his chair, an unmistakable smirk on his face, "Did you guys plan to have kids at the same time?"

"Actually it was a surprise on both parts," Cas laughed, "I wasn't human at the time and we didn't know I was fertile, and Bela just didn't tell Sam for a while."

"Weird coincidences." Sam muttered, fidgeting with the tablecloth.

"Kind of." Dean chuckled, wrapping his arm around Castiel, "Difficult period for us, I think."

"Just a bit." Cas leaned up and kissed his husband's cheek, "Nothing we couldn't handle though."

"Morning," a new voice called as he entered the room.

"Hey Charlie," Tommy yawned again, earning himself a smack from Castiel.

"Would you stop that?"

Sam looked over at the young man entering and going to his cousin's side, shaggy brown hair, taller than Tommy, and actually very attractive. Sam looked at Bela again, she was very pretty and he had to say her accent was cute. But he didn't know her; it was difficult to say whether or not he'd like her. Apparently he was flexible with whom he liked, Gabriel and now this Bela lady. Dean always seemed to end up with Castiel, like some kind of sign pointing them in the right direction. Sam couldn't help but wonder if that meant he wasn't meant for anyone or if he had more room to breathe. It didn't really matter, not as long as Dean and Castiel liked one another anyway.

Charlie looked over at the dimension traveller, immediately noticing the youthful image of his father's look-alike. Neither of them really felt the need to speak to one another though, they both knew that they weren't actually related and there was nothing between them. Charlie mostly looked for his own curiosity, what his father looked like around his age. Sam was looking for a similar reason, just to see the possibility of what his kid would look like.

"Good morning," Dean and Castiel emerged together, both priests smiling a little, very close to one another.

"Hey," Jet looked them over quickly; he nodded a little and turned to Sam with a shrug. "Not tonight."

Sam chuckled and grinned at his brother, "How'd you guys sleep?"

"Surprisingly well," Castiel sighed happily, sitting next to Sam, leaving a space empty for Dean to sit next to a stranger. "Yourself?"

"I got a few hours." Sam smiled, he wanted to talk about what he'd read already but he knew better. If he mentioned 'I'll tell you later' he'd get the demand from both Castiel and Dean to tell them immediately. Jet would also give him a good jab in the side for it, so he decided it was best not to even try. "Too excited about today I guess."

Cas' eyes scanned over his face and Sam felt the weirdest sense that his lie hadn't worked. Cas always had something about him, like he knew Sam better than Sam ever could know about himself. But all the same Castiel knew when to back off and not call him on it. "I get like that too, sometimes."

Dean, oblivious to his brother's avoiding commentary, clapped his hands in excitement for the breakfast spread. "Seriously? Before the beach? Not that I'm complaining, this looks awesome!"

"Well there are sports to play, sand castles to make, you don't have to swim immediately." Cas, the performer, all but rolled his eyes at the priest. "And you're welcome." he looked over at his counterpart, "Are all Dean's pigs with food?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Hey!" Both Dean's protested then looked at each other, not sure if they should stop while they were slightly ahead or to dig themselves deeper and continue the argument. Logic won out and they decided to shut up, not that either of them really identified with being a pig.

"Alright everyone, dig in. Sooner we finish eating the sooner we can get this day on the road." Castiel clapped his hands and the meal officially started. Morning chatter and discussions filling the room immediately, the dimension travellers all looking slightly surprised at the notion. Sitting down to a meal with family seemed strange to them and yet it looked so natural. And such a big group of people seated together without an argument in sight. Sure there were the odd insults here and there but they were evidently made in good fun.

Sam and Dean looked at one another, smiles etched onto their faces as they took in the scene before them. The four of them together seeing such a big family meal, it felt right and sat like a little beacon of hope for them; one day they'd be doing things like this on their own, with their own friends and family among them. It was a nice thought.


	42. PMA: Come On Get Higher

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 6**

Bright sun and warm weather met them as soon as the angels zapped them away; Sam squinted and adjusted his bag in a fidgeting motion that was somehow supposed to ease the shock. It didn't help much but he felt a bit more comfortable not standing in one place. He would never get used to immediate transportation no matter how often it happened. He glanced over at Dean who seemed to do the same, eyes narrow and looking around at the vastly open and empty beach. "Where is everyone?" Dean asked the question all four dimension travellers were thinking.

"We rented it out," The other Castiel exclaimed excitedly, already hurrying forward to set up their beach blanket. "It's our own little private beach for most of today."

"You can do that?" Jet gawked as the big family dropped off their things and started stripping out of the clothing they wore on top of their bathing suits. Despite having almost teleported there it still seemed appropriate to dress normally on top of the swim wear, who knew what could happen between point A and point B.

"Of course we can, we're famous remember? How many celebrities do you know that could buy an island if they wanted?" Gabriel rolled his eyes, shoving Jet in the shoulder as he passed him by.

Jet made a face at the shorter man but not enough to draw attention. It was a beautiful day; there were the perfect number of clouds to make the sky look like one of those classic photos on a Windows desktop. The water sparkled it was so clear, for the group that felt like they hadn't done anything fun in a long time it all but called their names. Despite it being early morning Dean threw his shirt off and dropped his pants without a second thought, dashing toward the water with his best friend right on his heels.

Castiel and Sam smiled at their comrades, both undressing but settling on one of the set up blankets next to the lead singer. "They're pretty excited." Sam mused, leaning back and letting the sun warm him a little. It was so inviting and really he wanted nothing more than to sleep on the beach.

"They're idiots, I think they forgot the rule about sunscreen." Cas chuckled as he grabbed a bottle.

"Good point, gimme some of that." Sam sat up and reached over for it.

Dean and Jet were a little busy squealing about how cold the water was as they dove in and tried to get it over with. Both emerged with chattering teeth, claiming it was the other's fault in the first place. Tommy grinned a little as he watched them, "Dad, are you really like that?"

The older Dean sat behind his husband and applied the sunscreen to his back for him; he looked up at the two goofing off immediately and nodded with a bit of a smile. "Yeah, though I don't know anyone like that Jet guy."

"Maybe not a bad thing," his lover added, "He seems to bring out quite the animal in you."

"I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic anymore." Dean leaned down and kissed Cas' neck.

"Bit of both." The singer giggled and turned his head to kiss back.

Cas watched them for a moment, his cheeks feeling an old but familiar burn. He shook his head and stood up, walking closer to the water as he cupped his hands around his mouth, "Dean! Jet! Get back here and put on some sunscreen!"

Sam smirked, he could remember when Castiel couldn't care less about Dean and Jet, or at least acted like it. Now here he was, shouting at them like a mother hen to get their damn sunscreen on. It had been a while since he'd seen Dean so happy and carefree, it made him smile, though Sam couldn't help but notice that Jet was still injured. The marks, scars and bruises were still fairly fresh if not a few days ago. He must've still been in pain, but of course Jet was never the type to show it. Sam supposed that maybe that was as good a sign as anything that Jet was fine, if his pain were obvious then maybe there'd be something to worry about. All the same he made a mental note to check in with Jet later.

The two did eventually come running, Dean lurching over and hugging Cas quickly before continuing on toward the towels. Jet was already starting to dry off next to Sam, who was fighting the urge to look at the way his friend's black trunks had slid a little lower on his waist. It wasn't too hard when his older brother all but charged him for the lotion, "You need to dry off a bit first, Dean!" Sam managed to call out as Dean wrestled the bottle away from him.

"Shut it, I know that." Dean grinned, "But I can't drip on you if I'm dry already."

"Asshole." Sam frowned with a bit of a pout mixed in with his bitch face.

Dean's grin only widened as he started to towel off, Jet taking the lotion from him as easily as he'd gotten it from Sam. "Me first."

Cas shook his head and laid down on the blanket, his swimwear matching Dean's since their coats came prepared. Sam and Jet had gotten extras from the other guys, mostly from Charlie's and the older Sam's things though, all four of them were around the same height and waistline as each other. Charlie and the dimension travelling Sam were tall but still thin, neither had filled out yet. Jet and the older Sam were sporting some extra muscle, wearing trunks that were too tight could serve the same purpose as string bikinis on women but Jet really didn't like that idea. He'd demanded that swim trunks should be tied tightly around the waist but mostly baggy for the rest of it. It made movement much easier.

Dean's on the other hand shaped to fit him, meaning it was a bit tighter but in all the right places for easier movement. No fabric to get in the way. It defied Jet's earlier commentary, regardless of how much he insisted his way was better. Cas admired Dean's body as he tried to dry off, glad for the uniform everything that the priests were expected to wear as he watched.

"Cas, help me put some on my back?" Dean smiled over at his partner who nodded and sat up again, motioning for Dean to sit in front of him.

While the two priests got in position to help each other Sam tried not to laugh at Jet who struggled to get the lotion in the middle of his back. "Shut up Sam! I've almost got this!"

"As if." Sam squirted a little on his hands and started rubbing it in, "Just ask for help when you need it."

"As if." Jet mimicked childishly through a smile he knew Sam would never see, it's what he was counting on.

"We should have just let you fry, I'd get to slap your sunburn for entertainment." Sam chuckled evilly.

"Guys I think Sam's possessed again." Jet looked over at Cas and Dean who started laughing, earning himself a smack to the back of his head. "Ow! See?"

Sam tried not to snicker but ended up bursting into laughter with Dean and Castiel. The sound was contagious and it'd been a while since they had.

* * *

As much as swimming seemed appealing in the summer weather, it was still fairly early in the day. Dean sat down next to Castiel and watched the others fool around and chatter amongst themselves. The four of them knew they didn't quite belong in the celebrations but somehow it didn't matter. It was a vacation on its own, with or without other people involved. Dean was just as happy to be doing something different with Cas, something where they weren't thinking of the fate of the universe. He liked seeing Cas domesticated a little, not battle ready and fighting for his life.

He smiled quietly to himself and reached across to take Castiel's hand in his own. His partner turned to look at their hands then back up to Dean's face. "Just wanted to," Dean explained to the curious blue eyes that scanned his every feature for some kind of explanation.

Cas gave a short little nod before looking back to the shore, watching water lick at the sand and retreat back like a playful child, "I'm glad." He all but whispered the words.

"For?"

"For you," Cas chuckled, squeezing Dean's hand firmly, "For someone who can see what they want and just reach out for it. You and Sam have always been like that."

"Cas!" Sam called to him from up the beach, a bucket and other supplies in his hands. "Just got some tools, let's build a castle." He hurried to Castiel's side and handed him a shovel, which the priest took and looked over curiously for a moment.

"Alight, I'll make a sand castle with you but we have to make it a competition." He smiled and looked up at Dean with a little glint in his eyes, "Dean and Jet versus you and I, best castle wins."

"You're so on," Dean stood and looked to where Jet had already been grabbing their supplies. "Yo, Jet! C'mere!"

"What's up man?" Jet jogged up to Dean's side where his best friend snatched the shovel from him.

"Contest, you an' me versus Cas and Sam."

"Oh, you guys are going down." Jet smirked and high fived Dean.

Sam rolled his eyes and looked to Castiel who was already moving to a good location. "So what do we get when we win?" He asked playfully.

Jet and Dean exchanged a look, trying to come up with something but Castiel beat them to the punch, calling over his shoulder, "Losers have to go streaking down the beach, winners get to watch."

"Get ready to get naked then," Jet scoffed as he and Dean found a good spot for their castle.

"You wish." Sam said mockingly.

The following few hours was a mess of sand, mud, and cursing as both sides tried their hands at making sand castles. None of them were particularly good at it, and it didn't help with Gabriel happened by and created a perfect castle with the help of some magic. Aggravated and frustrated Dean and Jet both took that time to run at Gabriel's sand castle and demolish it, destroying everything that pissed them off about it.

Sam and Cas buckled down and got their shit together, figuring out a good system for making sand stick. They broke their original castle down into a tightly packed mound of moist sand, forcing it together until they had one big block to work with. Sam moved to one side and Cas worked from the other, shaving thin layers away at a time, shaping and forming their design. Dean and Jet scoffed when they saw it in the early stages; to them it looked like Sam and Cas had gone backwards in their creation. Obviously buckets and shovels were the only and best way to make a sand castle.

The married couple, Castiel and Dean, walked over to see what their guests were up to, peering at the two castles with some interest, they went to Cas and Sam first. "What're you four up to?"

"Castle building contest," Sam smiled up at them, "Losers have to streak."

Castiel covered his mouth in a laugh and looked across to where Dean and Jet were furiously working away. "What're you basing the winner off of?"

"We'll need judges, you mind?" Castiel looked at his counterpart innocently.

"I'd love to, though I can already tell you who's going to win." The performer eyed the intricately shaped castle walls that Castiel and Sam were perched around. "You two found a bit a of a system, eh?"

"We're doing okay with what we've got. Some cement powder would have been nice." Sam joked lightly.

Cas and Dean nodded and moved to check out what the other pairing was up to, watching how quickly they were trying to move. "What's the hurry guys?" The singer tilted his head and eyed the childish but decently sized building Dean and Jet had constructed.

"Making castles." They muttered in unison.

Cas exchanged a look with his husband, glancing down the beach a little ways to see the other Castiel and Sam carefully working away at theirs. "Contest, right? What's the time limit?"

"Didn't make one." Dean and Jet looked at one another then turned to see how their opponents were doing.

"Son of a bitch!" Jet cursed and threw his shovel down, "Dude, look." He pointed toward the far superior castle. It wasn't quite as big but it was still crafted and detailed in a way that theirs just wasn't. "Cas are you cheating with magic or something!?" He shouted, getting the priest's attention.

"Even if I had some kind of useless spell that made my sand castles better, you have Dean, he'd be able to do something similar."

Dean took a deep breath and held it in his mouth to puff his cheeks out, blowing out the air as dramatically as he could. "I think we should just take our trunks off now, forfeit before this gets embarrassing."

"You just said 'let's just take our trunks off' in the same sentence as 'before it gets embarrassing', you know that?" Jet raised an eyebrow to his partner who threw his hands up in defeat. "Come on man, who knows, maybe we'd win because ours is bigger?"

"Not likely, do you look at ours and go 'whoa I didn't know you could do that with sand'? Because that's exactly how it's looking with theirs!"

"Don't yell at me! It isn't my fault you can't build a sand castle!"

Dean got up and shoved Jet a little, "You can't either, ass hat!"

"What, you wanna go?" Jet shoved back, Dean only retaliating with the same until their arms were locked and each was trying to shove the other down into the sand.

Cas looked up and nudged Sam a little, "Check it out, should we stop them?"

"Nah, they do this sometimes," Sam chuckled, "Just let it play out, ten bucks says they fall on their castle."

Cas shook his head; he wasn't about to take a losing bet, especially not with the two in question teetering so dangerously close to doing exactly that. And before he could reply to actually decline the bet, Dean and Jet had slipped and crashed into their pile of wet sand. Castiel snickered and stood up, "Looks like we win."

"Self sabotage, figures it'd be those two." Sam rolled his eyes and stood as well, walking over to where his brother and friend were wrestling like a couple of apes. "You guys done?"

Jet pinned Dean and grinned, "Looks that way."

Dean smirked and flipped them around, rolling Jet over and easily holding him face down into the sand, "Forgot I have super strength already?"

Jet groaned and tried pushing back though it did him no good, "Fucking jackass." He cursed with a laugh, "Alright alright, get off'a me." Dean obliged and slapped his friend on the back.

"Good effort."

"Still your fault, look at what you did to the friggin' castle?"

"Oh not this again," Cas moved between them, "Just get running boys, I want a show of it."

Dean and Jet exchanged looks, hesitating for a moment they begrudgingly dropped their trunks. Castiel smiled to himself as they booked it down the beach, running in a direction there were no people, no one said they had to run around the group they came with. "You're awful," Sam chuckled.

"A little bit, but hey, that just as easily could have been us."

"Yeah right, you've done some sand castle building before, haven't you?" Sam folded his arms over his chest, trying to find the simplest excuse as to why he shouldn't watch his brother and friend run naked down the beach.

"I've known some people who have done it before, may have picked up on a few things."

Torture and embarrassment over they decided it was time to get some swimming in. Another layer or two of sunscreen later they figured it was about time. Not that Dean and Jet intended to let the two winners just get away with it, they weren't about to allow Cas and Sam to ease their way into the chilly water. Dean hefted Cas up and, despite Castiel's struggling, carried him until it was too deep to hold him above the water anymore.

"Don't you dare!" Cas shrieked, holding onto Dean as tightly as he could, "Dean Winchester stop it!"

Dean chuckled and kissed Cas lightly, "Love you."

"DEAN!" The shrill scream almost echoed in the open space as Dean dropped down into the water, pulling Cas along with him. The two re-emerged pretty quickly, Dean with a grin and Cas with a sort of shocked anger that had his eyes open wide from the sudden cold. "Asshole!" He shouted, smacking Dean over and over again, only getting his partner to laugh hysterically at him.

Sam chuckled having enjoyed the spectacle, completely unaware that Jet had walked up behind him. "Kind of funny, huh?" Jet leaned over Sam's shoulder, warm, solid arms coming around in front and resting against his belly.

Sam jumped a little, the skin and muscles around his abdomen not used to being touched by someone else, they spasmed a little under the weight of Jet's arms. He was a little distracted, to say the least. Jet had never touched him like this or whispered in his ear from behind, it was strange and foreign. Not bad, he wouldn't say it was bad, but different all the same. "Jet?" He asked almost timidly, he was unsure of what was happening, what Jet was doing but mostly what was happening inside him.

Of course he got his answer a moment later, Jet lifted him up off the beach, a firm hold around his middle before he lifted Sam onto his shoulder.

"No no no no! Jet wait stop Jet no!" Sam babbled the words out though he knew that it wouldn't do him any good. Before he knew it Jet had thrown him into the water, a sudden blast of cold piercing him and shocking his system to the core. Sam threw his head up out of the water, taking a deep and shuddering breath, "You jackass!" he blurted out, rubbing the hair out of his eyes and pushing it back behind his ears.

"Yeah, who's laughing now!?" Jet cackled, Dean's laughter joining his almost immediately.

Sam and Castiel growled though it was all in good fun. "You're going to pay for that." Cas threatened, slapping Dean again for good measure.

"How?" Dean wrapped his arms around Castiel and hung off him, kissing his cheek playfully.

"Dunno yet, but some way, somehow you will pay."

"Right, well we'll be around when you figure it out." Jet winked at him before narrowly dodging Sam's swatting hand.

"Jerk, get back here!" Sam shouted, running after his harasser.

"Not a chance! You're gonna hit me!"

"Damn straight I am!"

* * *

** Author's Note: **

**Enjoy a pic I did of Jet.**

* * *


	43. PMA: Loosen My Lips

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 7**

The park was peaceful, as the large family of rock stars and other worldly beings set up the picnic the dimension travellers were able to relax. Dean sat next to Castiel under a large oak tree, smiling as he watched his partner do nothing more than pluck the grass around him. "You know," he started casually as Cas piled up the vegetation next to him. "I think that's a universal thing."

"Probably," Castiel chuckled softly, glancing up at the other priest for a moment before returning his attention to his piling. "Not that that's a bad thing, though. I like the idea that people across all time and space have something in common, even if it's as simple as pulling grass."

Dean smiled and looked out across the large grassy, hilly terrain. It was beautiful, the wind blowing through the few scattered trees and making a wave across the green foliage along the landscape. The sky was the perfect blue and had just the right amount of cloud cover. Dean couldn't remember the last time he'd seen such a perfect day. maybe it was the last time he'd been at a picnic, when they were celebrating the tenth anniversary with Bobby, Ellen, Jo, and Rufus. He missed them, he hadn't realized it much due to the unending peril they were put through, but he missed them.

"Cas," Dean trailed off, his tone a little sad, "When this is all over and we stop the void, what do we do?"

Cas let his gaze linger on Dean for several seconds before he looked back at the hills where he could see Sam climbing up to where Jet was lying. "We'll see when we get there, if nothing happens once the monsters are suppressed, if you, Sam, Jet, and I are all fine then we do whatever want."

"What do you want to do?"

"To live in a house, buy groceries, complain about petty things like how much I weigh..."

Dean laughed at Cas' list of mundane activities, "Weird how people who have to do all that crap wish life was more exciting."

"And the ones who can't want nothing more than to be boring." Cas snickered and looked over at Dean again. They shared a long, meaningful exchange without a single word spoken between them. Their gazes said a thousand more things and none of them were meant to be shared out loud.

Jet stared up at the clouds above him, arms folded behind his head, one leg crossed over the other, and a long piece of grass between his lips. He twirled it around, knocking it back and forth playfully, it was a good time to not think or do anything. He could sit there and spend his time contemplating their situation, the crap that had happened and was about to come, but what good would that do him? He had no more information in that moment than he'd had all day so why ruin a perfectly good time to be chill?

Sam walked up quietly, watching Jet as the other man turned his head casually, just looking at Sam once before looking back up at the clouds. "Hey Sam."

"Hey," Sam lowered himself down and leaned over Jet's face, a grin tugging at his lips, "What're you doing?"

"Playing that game, 'what shape is the cloud making.'" Jet smirked up at him, not at all fazed by the close proximity. Sam thought for sure he'd startle him or make him uncomfortable but no, he only did it to himself. It was weird being that close to him for some reason, Sam mentally shook the feeling off and lied down perpendicular to where Jet was. "You know I'd quote the Lion King if I could remember any of it."

Sam only scoffed softly at that, a light huff of air from his nose. "The last time I was part of a picnic we were at the cemetery..."

"I know." Jet said after a moment of silence, he rolled his head to see the top of Sam's, that mop of brown hair almost close enough to tickle his nose. Either that or it was the grass, either way it was a kind of funny angle. "You miss them? Home?"

"Sam tilted his head back, an upside down view of Jet's mostly neutral expression. "Sort of, I mean we grew up there and they were really good to us, helped raise us and everything. Yeah I miss them, but I'd much rather be here with Dean."

Jet grinned and looked up again, "Same, you and Dean are my best friends."

"If I'd have stayed back, would you have gone with?"

"No, of course not." Jet shook his head and turned to smile at Sam again, and that weird little feeling came back. It wasn't exactly bad just strange, and this time it was amplified just a touch, enough for him to notice the sensation of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. "And not just because Dean would ask me to take care of you."

Sam didn't know why Jet felt the need to add that part but it made him smile all the same. Like he was special in some way, that Jet wasn't  _just_  his older brother's best friend. "Thanks."

"You're welcome? I didn't do anything."

"Shut up." Sam sighed and closed his eyes, starting to relax about the fluttering in his stomach that reached up to his chest.

"Hey!" Castiel called to them from down the hill, "Food's ready, let's go."

Jet lifted his legs up and with the assistance of his back and abdomen muscles launched himself onto his feet without having to use his hands. He took the grass from his mouth and tossed it to the side as Sam stood and walked up next to him. "Think you're cool or something?"

"All the time, Sam." Jet grinned and started running down the hill, gaining enough momentum that when he caught up to Dean and smacked the back of his head it actually did something. He laughed as he continued on past, "C'mon Winchester!"

"OW!" Dean exclaimed loudly and immediately ran after his friend, "Get back here you obnoxious dick!"

Sam smiled, "I don't think Jet gets that he can't outrun Dean or out punch him."

"I think he knows." Cas chuckled, watching as Dean tackled Jet before they reached the picnic table.

The food was good and the company more than welcome, it wasn't only peaceful but it seemed to be therapeutic for Cas. He showed no signs of a mental breakdown and physically he appeared much better. A day off really was what he'd needed, just some time to sit with his family, wipe potato salad off his face, and drink water to help swallow something when he'd eaten too much too fast. And all the while Dean was right there with him, rubbing a tidbit of food from his nose, and patting him on the back as he half choked. Castiel couldn't have asked for a better mini-vacation from destiny.

The following few hours were meant to be spent however they wanted, some ran around the park, some flew off to do something on their own, some even went to take naps under the trees. Castiel sat looking at the different items the group had brought with in case someone got bored, the bright colours of a Frisbee caught his eye and he removed it from someone's bag. He could remember the few times he'd played with a Frisbee with his husband and Sam, before he'd gotten sick. It was a fond memory, he'd had so much fun.

Dean walked up behind him and hung off his shoulders, leaning over his back to peer at the object in his hands, "You wanna play?"

"Oh? Well I-" Cas wasn't given the opportunity to answer properly, Dean had snatched the bright plastic disc from him and started to pull him along behind.

"Come on," Dean smiled at him and Cas couldn't resist, he returned it with his own smirk and picked up his pace to walk next to Dean. "Yo! Sammy, Jet! C'mere!" Dean called out, waving the Frisbee back and forth to push his point across. It seemed to do the trick too because they were on their way over, it turned into a minor race but Jet won in the end. They were still a good distance away but Jet threw his hands up.

"Dude! Throw it!"

Those were the words that started the game, it wasn't that competitive but it did the trick to get them moving. There couldn't really be a winner or a loser, though Sam and Cas were very entertained at the number of times they made Dean or Jet sprint across the field because the Frisbee had gone out a little wider than they'd expected. Apparently they underestimated the abilities of their partners.

Evening fell and everyone meandered toward the lit up gazebo that one of the others had set up for the night. The lights were brilliant, the rest of the park was entirely dark and the fact that they were next to a decently sized pond only made it all look that much prettier. A dance floor had been set up and music played softly into the surrounding area. Dean couldn't help but smile as he watched the lights flicker on the water's surface, from where he was he could see Castiel's reflection and all the glow in the area around him made it look like he was some kind of an angel all his own.

"Everyone has to dance tonight," The lead singer insisted that evening, everyone would have to dance at least once. Dean and his travelling companions weren't exactly in the dancing mood, per se, so they thought that maybe they'd get away with sitting quietly and watching. They had really tired themselves out during their Frisbee 'match' and each was hoping they'd be able to sit it out, you know, since they weren't really part of the big family.

They under estimated the stubbornness of the other Castiel.

Dean was really enjoying the evening, sure the music wasn't exactly to his liking but everyone else seemed to love it, even his other self. Jet was slumped in his chair, head hung back and arms dangling at his sides, his long legs stretched out in no particular way in front of him. Sam sat with his elbow on their table, his cheek resting on it as he watched the dancers with a quiet appreciation, some of them were really good. Castiel had a similar expression on his face except part of him really wanted to ask Dean, of course he hesitated which gave an opening for the other Cas to pop up next to them.

"You guys are seriously missing out, and because you've spent the whole night doing nothing I'm going to force you onto the dance floor." He smiled wickedly and pulled on his counterpart. "Up you get, you and Dean are partners, Sam you're with Jet."

"For what?" Jet lifted his head up, one eyebrow raised curiously.

"A contest, you four will compete to see which team did it better." Cas hauled the priest out of his chair and off to the dance floor.

Dean smiled a little and shrugged, "Well might as well go along with it, right?"

"I guess." Sam glanced at Jet sheepishly, not sure if he should be excited or worried. But Jet had this smile, one that made him want to trust whatever outcome might be the result of their attempt.

They hadn't expected the grandiose tactics that this other Castiel liked to employ, the dance floor transformed from a make-shift gazebo space to a full on ballroom sized spectacle, the gazebo itself had seemingly grown larger though from the outside it didn't look any different. Dean snorted back a laugh, "Kinda like Doctor Who."

"Doctor what now?" Cas looked at him, brow furrowed.

"Uh... never mind." Dean took Castiel's hand and led him to their supposed side of the room, "You know how to dance?"

Cas shrugged, "You saw me on stage with the other me, right?"

"Yeah," Dean smiled and gave Cas' hand a squeeze, "But I mean not copying, you'll have to keep up."

"Shut up, Dean. I can do it just fine, you'll just... have to lead." There was a light blush on his cheeks, it was subtle and barely there but Dean could see it. "I mean... you've danced before right?"

"Sam and I were signed up for dance stuff as we grew up, Ellen had signed her daughter up for it and figured there was no harm in adding Sam and I." Dean laughed as he pulled Cas closer, "For some reason we were totally cool with it."

"Weird, considering how macho you see yourself now." Cas giggled, the blush deepening.

"Hey now," Dean's voice was soft and so intimate, he loved watching how dark the red could get in Castiel's cheeks.

Sam and Jet stepped over to their side and looked at one another, they were a good few feet apart and the awkward feeling started to set in. Jet glanced over at Dean and Cas and saw how close they were already, "Shit... we're goanna lose this one."

Sam turned to look and frowned, "Do you know how to dance, Jet?"

"I'm pretty good at solo stuff but I've never danced with someone else." Jet shrugged and tried to loosen himself, he didn't expect Sam to grab his arms and take charge. They were basically the same height so it wasn't awkward, actually Sam had gotten a bit taller. Jet hadn't noticed before but now it seemed so obvious, Sam's body had decided to continue growing which wasn't all that uncommon. Some guys were only done after they turned 25. "What are you-"

"You don't know how to lead so I will," Sam smirked at him, "You got a problem with that?"

Jet face was a little tense but he shook his head, "No, I guess not."

"Good, because I'm not letting my brother take this without a fight." Sam looked back over at Dean competitively and it just made Jet laugh.

The first song that played over the speakers sounded old school and Dean recognized it as a song by Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Upbeat and something they could swing to, immediately the two brothers led their partners, Dean had a bit of trouble at first but Castiel picked up the rhythm and steps fairly quickly. They looked at one another with awe as they danced and moved together as one person. Their relationship as partners of the Faith probably had something to do with it but Dean didn't see it that way, they really were a good pair. Sam and Jet on the other hand weren't exactly in any formation but that didn't make them bad, just different. Sam would lead but Jet had his own ideas, more of a spontaneous type than the one that'd follow a set of rules. Sam knew that leading Jet wouldn't be easy so instead of stubbornly trying to force his friend to do the steps he expected, he altered his own to match. It wasn't so much as one of them led the dance, they just flowed together.

The more the seconds passed the less Sam could focus on the competition, on beating Dean. He started to realize the brown eyes watching him weren't going to look away, that the smile on his dance partner's face was there for him, and that the more they danced the more it seemed like Jet had been in control the whole time. Sam could feel his heart beating rapidly, a shorter breath every now and then as their bodies pressed against each other. He could feel it, the subtle ways Jet would angle himself just enough to lead Sam or follow Sam's lead. He could  _feel_  the motion of another person's body like he hadn't ever done before. He'd danced with people, sure, but it never got to him like this.

The intimacy between Dean and Castiel had grown to the point where they didn't notice anyone else around them. Eyes locked as they circled and moved around one another. Dean was intoxicated with the baby blues that looked just as intense as the day he'd first seen them. Piercing into his mind and soul with a simple glance, Dean remembered the way it had scared him then and it was almost funny. He'd been frightened by how strong Castiel was, just sitting there on the town's commemorative statue Dean could feel it from across the street.

There was more than just the one song, of course. The first being so upbeat and fun, easy to get into, the next had been chosen as a more classical, slow dancing kind of song. One where there really had to be a dominant figure in the team to carry it properly. They remained steady in who would lead, Sam and Dean respectively, but that didn't make Sam any less nervous about it. He'd grown up with Jet around, a loud, obnoxious and opinionated jerk who was best friends with his older brother. But at the same time Jet had also been caring, protective, and selfless; Sam had no idea how he felt about being the lead in their dance anymore. He'd never seen Jet follow anyone's instructions, he didn't play that role very easily and yet here he was doing exactly as Sam needed him to do. Maybe that was more of what he was doing or how he saw it.

Sam knew what the fluttering feeling in his chest was, what most people would say it meant, but he couldn't trust that could he? Just assume that maybe he had different feelings for Jet other than as a good friend? Sam had known him so long, Jet used to call him things like 'kiddo' and 'squirt,' had helped Dean clean him up when he was extremely sick, and would pick him up and throw him into cold water over his shoulder. Sam swallowed as the memory of just earlier that day came back, the shiver running through his body when Jet put his arms around him. It had been a warm and steady pressure that he hadn't experienced before. But Jet had thrown him in the water, it hadn't meant anything different to him, had it? Sam was sure that Jet was the type of person who would say so if he liked someone, he hadn't mentioned it to Sam so why would he assume differently? But did that mean that Sam hadn't felt that shudder at Jet's touch? Did he like Jet-

No, it was just a surprise, he hadn't felt anything different than normal Jet just surprised him. Sam decided firmly that it was nothing more than an admiration for his friend. He'd seen part of Jet's past in his mind back in the other world, he'd witnessed Jet's self-sacrificial thoughts for Sam's safety, the only reason he was feeling this way was because he'd gotten a bit closer to Jet. That was all.

"Getting a little stiff," Jet whispered in his ear, the heat of his breath making the hairs on Sam's neck stand up. "What's up?"

Sam exhaled to try and ease his nerves and shake off the way his skin had started to prickle up. "Sorry, guess I'm concentrating too hard." he replied softly, only now noticing that they were chest to chest. It had startled him, to feel the muscle in his friend's abdomen moving. He tripped up and was about to slip but Jet immediately took over and swung him down into a dip instead.

"You sure?" He looked concerned now and Sam wanted nothing more than to get some air.

"Maybe I should lie down." Sam stuttered out, and when Jet had pulled upright again he hurried out of the gazebo.

Dean and Cas had basically been holding one another as they spun around the dance floor, it was a beautiful sight, so simple and flowing that they hardly seemed to put an effort into it. But when Dean saw Sam all but running away he had to stop it. "What happened?" It was his big brother tone and it was aimed at Jet who shook his head and followed Sam out.

"No idea, but I'll find out."

"Well you're both winners," Castiel, the singer, clapped for them and motioned for everyone else to get back out there instead of just watching. It wouldn't do any good to let the evening spoil, so he took his husband's hand and led him out to dance with everyone else, a little something for old time's sake.

"Sam?" Jet called out into the darkened park, seeing Sam's figure standing out by the pond's edge. "Hey, you okay?"

"Can you leave me alone, please?" Sam didn't look at him and his tone was distant.

Jet frowned but continued to approach anyway, "Can't do that, Sam, you know that." He crossed his arms over his chest as he stopped a little ways to Sam's right, he wasn't encroaching on personal space but he wasn't about to leave either. "So you might as well tell me what's up."

Sam was quiet and he shook his head, "No, I can't talk to you."

Jet tensed as his anger bubbled but he did his best to keep a lid on it, "What the fuck did I do?"

"Nothing. I just can't tell you." Sam sighed and ran his hand up through his hair.

"...Want me to get Dean? Or Cas?"

"I want to be alone."

"I'm not leaving you alone out here, Sam. Tell me which one to get or you're stuck with me." Jet spoke so non-chalantly but Sam could hear it, it was faint and barely there but Jet sounded so hurt from what Sam could make of it. He didn't say anything and Jet started to fume next to him. "Fine, I'll get both." He started to walk back toward the structure, "Stay there."

Sam didn't move but that didn't make it any easier to deal with the gross feeling in his chest. He was regretting it but the confusion started to really weigh on him, why did stupid emotions and feelings have to get in the way? Jet had always been an awesome friend, what was this?

Before he knew it Castiel had walked out to him, Dean stayed back by the gazebo with Jet. "Sam?" Cas placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and moved to look at his face. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I don't know how to explain it, Cas." Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes again, tears starting to well up and no amount of rubbing would make it stop. Castiel's way of addressing him had changed so much since they'd met, his tone was far more caring too and it only made him feel that much more confused as to how he saw Jet. Maybe they really did just feel closer and that was scaring him.

"Did Jet say something?" Cas started to guess considering he had nothing else to go on. Sam shook his head. "Okay, did he hurt you by accident?"

"No... Jet didn't do anything."

"Then why are you mad at him?"

"I'm not bad at  _him_." Sam sighed angrily, "I'm not mad! I'm just... I'm so confused, Cas. He's been like a second older brother to me, he helped take care of me and he's been a best friend and I just... I don't understand what's going on. He would tell me if I meant anything more than a friend to him, wouldn't he? I know that but the way he touched me before... I know it was just to throw me into the water but I felt..."

Cas smiled and gave Sam a hug, "Calm down, I know it can be scary but there's nothing wrong with it. You don't know how you feel about him, right?"

"Yeah..." that about summed it up.

"Well you can't push those things, your feelings can be complicated and since you've known him for so long it could really take a while for you to figure it out. Whatever they end up being I want you to remember that no matter what he'll always be there, he's your friend and he's your family okay?" Cas rubbed Sam's back and leaned away, grinning at the little smile on Sam's lips.

"Okay, thanks Cas."

"No problem, no go over there and tell him you're sorry."

"I hurt him, didn't I?"

"He's a little upset," Cas pinched his fingers to indicate the level of emotion on that one but Sam knew he was being kind about it.

"Right, I'll get to him." Sam sighed with a laugh, "Thanks again Cas," he leaned forward in a hug again, squeezing Castiel gently before running up to the gazebo. Jet was standing off to the side with Dean, arms still crossed and looking a tad pissed off. That was normal for him though, his neutral face usually looked kind of mad. "Jet?"

He looked up, a glimmer of something Sam couldn't quite pinpoint but he decided not to focus on it. "You feeling better?"

"Yeah," Sam went to him and wrapped him a hug too, surprising him enough that he hadn't quite managed to uncross his arms. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have treated you that way."

"Hey, it's okay." Jet wriggled his arms free and put them around Sam in return, it was a strong hug like always but Sam noticed it felt a little more timid. "We're cool, alright?"

"Okay," Sam grinned as he looked at Jet again, that ugly feeling gone and the look of pain faded from Jet's face.

Dean and Cas looked at each other and smiled, clearly they could see something the other two were missing.


	44. PMA: Faith and Desire

**Pleasure My Angel World: Part 8**

They decided to spend the night again, why waste a perfectly good bed when they'd just spent the entire day 'relaxing'? Castiel hit the pillow hard, curling up in the sheets without much to say as sleep overtook him. Dean wanted to join him more than anything but he felt he couldn't just drop to sleep without saying something. He slipped out of the bedroom and went over to where the other Castiel sat in the living room. It was another large-scale room and Dean just couldn't get used to the grandiose preferences of this man.

"Cas?" He asked as he entered, smiling a little when the ex angel glanced up from a book.

"Ah, other-Dean, how's it going?" Cas grinned at him, still a beautiful thing to see; aging had been very kind to him.

"It's good, I just wanted to thank you for everything today, we really needed it." Dean's nerves were tingly and he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, he couldn't explain why this Castiel made him nervous but he did. Maybe it was because he was an actual rock star, a famous celebrity that everyone loved and adored. Maybe it was because this Castiel had children, another Dean's children.

"You're welcome, I noticed you guys are still pretty, well, uptight, but I'm sure there's a reason for it. I've never had the fate of the universe on my shoulders but I'm sure there's someone out there who can relate to you."

"Well there is, my Cas is kinda in the same situation." Dean laughed, wandering a bit closer. "But you probably meant a different world version of us, huh?"

"Yeah, kinda." Cas chuckled and put the book down, "You all are very close."

"Well we've gotten pretty tight knit over the last little while, but I don't think we're as close as we could be." Dean shrugged and looked around the room as he tried to find something to occupy his hands or mind. Why was talking to this guy so hard? He was just Cas.

"How close do you think you could be?"

Maybe because he used to be an angel? No, he'd met a fallen angel before. Or perhaps because he was much older? No,  _his_  Cas was centuries old too. "I don't know, I just get the feeling that Cas and I could be better. I'm pretty new to this priest thing and he's been at it for a long time so we're not exactly in sync yet." he paused and pointed at Cas, "And not the boy band!"

"No worries, wasn't gonna go there." Castiel smirked as he lifted his hands in defense, "Regardless though I don't think it's something that can be measured. You four are very close already, yeah there are some kinks to work out but that's where all the fun is. Getting to know one another more intimately, seeing something you'd never seen before and discovering your friends and family for who they really are. You grow with them, you change with them and  _that's_  where life happens. It's not where you end up, Dean."

Dean had heard those kinds of things before, in movies and stories and whatever else that would ever say the words 'it's not the destination, it's the journey.' But when he heard it from someone as old as this Cas, as this angel turned human, it felt like it meant more. "Thanks Cas," Dean smiled at him and turned back toward the hall, "I'm going to hit the hay, we'll probably be leaving first thing so if I don't see you later-"

"Enjoy your time with them," Castiel gave him a little wave, "It's been great having you here."

Dean waved back and went to the stairs, he glanced over and saw Tommy, the offspring of him and Castiel. It was still so weird to see him, "Hey," he called out to him but wasn't quite sure why. Maybe he felt somewhat like this kid's distant dad or something and knew that leaving without a word was pretty much the worst thing he could do.

Tommy looked over at Dean and gave a short wave, he was on his way out the door. "Hey."

"Where you going this late?" Dean furrowed his brow and walked to the front door.

"Home, we live in the estate that's just down the road over there. Mom set it up, I guess he just really likes keeping everyone close." Tommy shrugged and finished slipping on his shoes, "You guys are going?"

"Tomorrow, yeah." Dean still felt weird, he figured that the whole 'having a kid' thing was probably the reason. Granted Tommy wasn't his or anything, but still. It was hard to shake off. He wasn't sure if he wanted a kid, even if he did they'd have to adopt and it was just a mess of thoughts and feelings he didn't want to get into.

"Cool, probably won't see you again." Tommy seemed so nonchalant about it, like it didn't matter. Dean figured that it probably didn't but the kid didn't have to make that so obvious. "Have fun with the saving the world stuff."

"Yeah, you have fun with whatever it is you're doing."

Tommy gave a short wave before heading out. Dean hung his head and ran his hand through his hair, "I'm not good with kids..." Though that had probably been his problem; Tommy was very close to his age and he was treating the guy like a little kid. Yep, that was definitely why they didn't get along better. Dean trotted up the stairs and crawled into bed next to Castiel, wrapping his arms around his partner and letting sleep claim him.

* * *

**Mainline**

Cas stretched as he stepped onto the familiar road, feeling so much better. "Okay, onto the next one."

"Hold up," Jet stepped forward, glancing over at Sam as he drew the attention of the two priests. "Sam and I found something out after reading the journal."

Castiel felt that wave of stress coming back, he didn't like the sound of Jet's tone. "What did you find?"

"Something about a prophecy," Sam took the journal out and flipped it open to the bookmarked page, "The other me wrote about it here." He handed it over to Cas' outstretched hand, feeling much better now that he'd managed to share the information. Sitting on it for a whole day didn't feel right.

Castiel read over the entry slowly, his expression getting tighter the longer he read, Dean walked up behind him and read over his shoulder. They looked at one another part way through, neither sure of what they were reading.

Sam held his breath for a second and exhaled slowly. "When the Void woke up so did the High Priests, within the pairs priests wake one at a time and find their partner. The last pair of priests to find one another are meant to end this whole thing. The first was supposed to wake from In Somniantes and the second from Aeterna, one is unsurpassed in magical ability and the other in physical power."

"If we go to the world In Somniantes we'll meet another pair of priests," Jet explained as they read through it again for good measure. "I think that should be our next stop."

"This is..." Cas was at a loss for words, his eyes skimming over the words again and again. "I don't know what this is but it can't be right."

"Why not?" Jet pushed it, "Your magic is crazy awesome right? Why is it so hard to believe?"

"Because I've never seen another priest before, where are all of them if not on the mainline?"

Sam and Jet looked at one another for a second before Sam turned his gaze back to Cas, "Well... the timeline reset, right? You and Dean would have been the last ones to wake up the very first time, which means those priests could have moved on down the road long before you woke. What if when it reset those priests weren't affected and they had to wait for us to catch up?"

"No, that doesn't work." Dean shook his head, "The corrupted timeline is still around and there were other versions of all of us, this entire mainline and all the worlds were reset, meaning the priests that would have woken up in some of them would have also gone back to the start."

"But I'd almost guarantee that our timeline is different," Sam insisted firmly, "Maybe this time they had to wait longer? Cas did say he was looking for his partner for centuries didn't he?"

"Let's just go to it," Jet interrupted and looked at Cas, "Where's the world you came from?"

Castiel shook his head, "I don't want to go there."

"Cas, we have to." Sam went to his side and touched his shoulder soothingly. "It'll be okay, we're right here with you."

Castiel looked worried like someone was about to murder a puppy in cold blood. He looked at all of their faces, Dean's looked just as comforting as anyone's. He knew that they had to go, to meet these other priests, to find a way to end everything. But him? Part of a prophecy? He just couldn't see it. "We'll go, but just so I can prove to you that it's wrong." Cas really didn't want to but he knew it was necessary.

"So where is it?" Dean looked around, "Can you tell?"

"I know exactly which one it is," Cas walked to the edge of their walk way and looked down into the darkness where that one world had been almost consumed. It was at the edge of the void and still falling. "Remember when I told you we'd never go there?" He looked at Dean who was staring at it a little differently now than before.

"You're from that one? What happened?"

"What does it look like happened? It's been so deeply infected by the void that it's broken away from the mainline and slowly being eaten away." Castiel's cold demeanor had returned, his eyes angry as they watched the slow flicker of its fire turning on and off. "You won't like what we find there, it'll be dangerous too."

Dean knew that holding onto the others meant nothing but he took Sam's hand anyway, "Let's get going then."

Castiel nodded and leapt off without another word, Dean taking Sam with him and Jet left to take the leap on his own. It was a scary fall and the world looked much closer than it actually was. Dean's heart was in his throat as they drifted through the darkening mist around them. He could feel it, the void was desolate and gave an aura that could only be described as the worst things humanity could ever experience. The anger, frustration, rage, heartbreak, sadness, and all the negative emotions boiling in someone came up to the surface, seeped through their skin and to their core. Dean felt disgusting as they finally landed on the piece of the mainline that was still jutting out as a platform. His stomach did flip-flops and his chest ached with every thought and second that passed. "Cas, what is this?"

"This is the start of the void." Castiel frowned and looked over at Sam and Jet who had both frozen up, it had become hard to breathe and their bodies just wanted to quit. "I think it's too much for them, I don't know if we should take them with us."

"We should go," Sam wheezed but it wasn't exactly convincing of his argument.

"No," Castiel raised his hand and their bodies started to float, a light glowing faintly around them, "The mainline will draw you back to it, stay right where you are and don't move once you reach it." He called after them and looked over at Dean with a shake of his head. "I didn't know what the void would do to normal humans, I don't want to risk them."

"Good plan," Dean watched until he saw his little brother reach the road safely again. "Let's go."

Castiel bit his lip as he looked at the world, not wanting to enter again but he forced himself anyway, Dean following right behind.

Sam glared down at the hazy blackness below, "This is bullshit!"

"It's better this way." Jet crossed his legs and leaned back, his arms behind him to support his weight. "We have no idea what it'd be like in there, as much as I want to hear what happens first hand I don't think we should go."

"But the other me had been there to hear the prophecy himself! Why can't I do the same?" Sam was pretty livid.

"It's probably like you said before, it's different. The journal didn't give any hints about In Somniantes being demolished or in the void, he would have commented on what that shit felt like." Jet shook his head, "No, I think this is best."

Sam was mad but there was nothing he could do now, he dropped down next to Jet and sprawled out on the mainline. "Do you think they'll be back soon? How does that time thing work?"

"I'd bet for us it'll be any minute now," Jet grinned at him, "The time in the mainline is faster than the time in the world's right?"

"I guess so... Cas did say that a long time in a world meant no time on the mainline..."

"Right, so when they get back we can't be pouting." Jet nudged him a little and hopped a bit closer to the edge to look down at the world's entrance again, hoping he'd see them any second.


	45. In Somniantes: High Priest Michael

**In Somniantes: Part 1**

Dean opened his eyes to see a world straight out of Inception. Parts of the town he stood in were bent and twisted, land and buildings and all kinds of things were suspended mid air like in a permanent state without gravity. Every now and then things would start to move again, up, left, right, down, it didn't matter they'd just move like being blown away. But then time would almost freeze again, it was like everything vibrated, like a flicker in time. Dean looked around him, the sky was clouded over but it was daytime, there were no people around and if there were they were just as frozen as everything else.

It had that same disturbing feeling as the space outside of the world, and from what Dean could see the sky was slowly being eaten way into a black cloud. He knew it was part of the void and that thought terrified him, to know that if he stayed there long enough he'd been consumed just like the rest of the world. "Cas?" He called loudly, hoping that his partner wasn't too far off this time. "Castiel!" He kept shouting but there was no answer, Dean growled at his luck and started running through the crumbling street. The roads were in ruins like the ones back in his home world had been before Castiel showed up, people were scattered all along the landscape some living, most of them dead. Dean didn't want to see it, he really didn't. This was the world where Castiel had to kill the love of his life, this was the world where its Sam died. Dean didn't like it, the added pressure from the void as it encroached on the world didn't help but he really felt sick to his stomach.

"CASTIEL!" He tried scream again, this time there was a reply.

"Who's there?" An old familiar voice called out but Dean couldn't quite place it. A man walked around a building, his body draped in the same blue material Dean wore, a sword on his hip and that look in his eyes that reminded him of Castiel.

Dean stared at him for a few seconds, faces he remembered running through his mind until he recalled someone from high school. "Michael?"

"So you know me," This clearly wasn't the same stuck up dick Dean know from school, this was a different version of him but it was still him. Dark hair, sharp eyes, and about his size. He looked Dean over quickly and lifted his hand away from the hilt of his sword, "You're a high priest? Where's your partner?" His tone wasn't threatening but it had a certain air about it, like he meant to say more but held back.

"When we enter worlds we don't always end up together." Dean scratched the back of his head sheepishly, somehow that felt kind of childish and silly in front of another priest. What if it was just their group that did that? "So he's not here."

Michael nodded and folded his arms over his chest as he started to walk toward Dean. There was nothing particularly hostile about his posture, "That does happen..." he mumbled like it was the biggest nuisance of his life. "Did you wake in this world?" He asked suddenly, looking hopeful, stepping closer until he was basically right in front of Dean. "Are you the last priests?"

Dean didn't know how to answer that, they'd just heard about it and now here someone was asking him. It could be related to the fact that they'd gone looking for someone who knew, but still Dean wasn't ready for the Q and A. "I'm... My partner woke here, he found me not too long ago."

Michael stared at him, looking him over closely before furrowing his brow, "You don't look like much... though I guess none of us really do. Which one are you? The magical one or the physical one?"

"Physical I guess." Dean shrugged, he kind of liked this Michael. He wasn't being condescending or a jackass, he was just asking questions. It was nice to see that the priests would play well together, he'd been worried they wouldn't get along. "Is it that much different than other priests?"

"Well we all have a magically gifted partner while the other is more physically inclined, but not to the point that the final priests would be." Michael shook his head and smiled a bit, yep definitely friendlier than the douche bag he knew in high school. Though really it was also pretty different from Cas when they'd first met, but Cas had a hard past to Dean wasn't that surprised. "I have to say, I'm very relieved you're here. My partner and I have been looking all over for the priests of prophecy but it seems that things haven't quite been in our favour. It feels like the timeline isn't how it should be, you know what I mean?"

"It's not," Dean was a little shocked that this guy could feel it without actually having been told. Maybe it was more obvious than they had thought? Or maybe this Michael had gone through some things that they hadn't. "The previous timeline had been corrupted and I guess not everything stays the same when it reset."

"It reset?" Michael's eyebrows knit together as he processed the words carefully. "How would you even know that? If it was reset then we all would have been too, how do you know about something you shouldn't?"

"Uh well it's been quite the trip for us. But mostly we've been talking to the celestial beings." Dean didn't intend to share everything with this other priest. Sure they were technically on the same side and Michael had been pretty good up until then but Dean didn't want to talk about the journal, that was definitely a tighter knit family thing. It used to belong to a different Sam and now his little brother carried it, Dean didn't like the idea of random priests going up to his brother and asking to see it. So all due respect to Michael but it wasn't something to be shared.

However Michael seemed more preoccupied with the thought of talking to the celestial beings, "Wait, the ones that helped wake and train us? You've spoken more to them than that?"

"Yeah, they don't talk to you? In your heads or anything?"

"Never." Michael's expression grew more serious, Dean could almost see the thoughts floating across his eyes, determined and a tad righteous. "Alright, you're definitely the priests from the prophecy, there can't be any other explanation."

"Can you tell me something?" Dean wished Castiel would show up but for now he'd have to deal with Michael on his own.

"I'll try."

"Where is everyone hearing about this prophecy?"

Michael's expression softened again and he shook his head, "It's something one of the partners hears among the common high priests. When the first priest of the pair wakes they have to find their partner, when the partner wakes they hear the prophecy. I became a priest first so my partner knows a little more about hearing it than I do. I think it's like a voice in his head, though that was the only time it's ever happened."

"I woke up second, does that mean I should have heard it too? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Dean's head was starting to hurt but he didn't bother to say that out loud, there was no point.

"I guess it's expected that you'll just... know it? Or maybe it's more like you will just do it, without having to know."

"Or the people who are in charge of destiny knew that everyone would run up to us going 'you're the prophecy' and crap." Dean shrugged and pursed his lips together, it was nice that Michael was guessing about some of it too, he didn't feel so stupid for asking a million questions. "So if everyone knew that then why didn't someone go to In Somniantes to keep the last priest safe?"

"Because the worlds aren't exactly labeled," Michael exclaimed tiredly, his exhaustion starting to show. "When we finally found it this had already happened. A crack was made in this world and wasn't repaired properly, I thought the priest had died. But you say he's here now?"

"Somewhere. Can you tell what happened here? Like I know there was a demoni that had gotten in, what caused all of this?"

"The void focused on it, tried to destroy it before the priest could fully wake but I guess he was already gone. The world fell into the shallow part of the void, broke off the mainline and just... I guess it's just been sitting here." Michael touched his hand to his chin and paused thoughtfully, "If the void hadn't been reset it must have tried to demolish In Somniantes before the priest woke up, why didn't it succeed?"

"Maybe it couldn't get in yet, like the void can slip in to any world but only a little. If it could just take over then it would have already devoured everything." This was normally Sam's job but Dean found himself debating the situation instead. He was glad he hadn't brought Sam with, the void pollution would have been intolerable and might've made him sick again. Dean wouldn't risk that for anything.

"So it got in through the fissure made by the demoni, regardless I wouldn't doubt that it could happen to any world... We need this to end."

"Believe me, we're working on it." Dean sighed and looked around, still trying not to think about how those people must be feeling as their world falls apart like that. "So why are you guys here, anyway?"

"The battle with the void has been getting so much worse. I spoke with other high priests since this all began, we were under the impression that the void would have been much weaker at the start and only got stronger with time. I'm guessing that has something to do with the reset?"

"I think maybe, the timeline split off when the first one lost track of itself and restarted the life of the worlds on it. But the timelines and the mainline are disconnected from the void so I guess the void doesn't reset." Dean felt sick just thinking about it, the monsters they were fighting and having a hard time with were supposed to be easy. They were the final priests, they were the ones who surpassed all others in strength and they had trouble with the canon fodder. He couldn't imagine how priests like Michael were fairing, it must be hell for them. "You guys came here looking for a last hope, didn't you?"

"Yes, we're on our last legs out there."

"Are you working with other pairs of priests or on your own?"

"There aren't that many of us left, I haven't seen another pair in a long time." Michael smiled at him, a little hopeful, "But the next pair I come across are the ones who are meant to end this. I have to say I'm relieved you're alive. What are your names?"

"I'm Dean, my partner is Castiel."

"Hold on," Michael furrowed his brow again, the name burning in the back of his mind, "I've heard those names, you wouldn't know two others by any chance, a Sam and Jet?"

"How do  _you_  know them?" Dean lurched forward, grabbing hold of the front of Michael's shirt and pulling him closer.

Michael didn't seem at all fazed though, his expression remaining entirely the same, "I've heard them, there's a world down the mainline called Futurum, you'd know it by the reflective fire. My partner and I have been there, they allow us to see our own future and if someone else's future is loud enough you can hear it."

"What did you hear?" Dean wasn't about to let up, his grip tightening as he nearly snarled into Michael's face.

"Someone said 'Sam we need to go' and he replied by saying 'No Cas' followed by him screaming for a Dean to help someone named Jet."

"What does that mean?" Dean let go, now at least satisfied that Michael wasn't about to do anything awful.

"I don't know, it sounded urgent though, panicked. I'd wager there'll be trouble for them."

"When?"

"There's no way of knowing."

The sick feeling returned, Dean wanted to vomit. What was going to happen? Cas had to tell Sam they needed to leave while Jet was in some kind of trouble? What the hell was happening? Or was going to happen or whatever, his head hurt. "I need to find Cas," Dean started running past Michael, "Come on, your partner's missing too right?"

"He's around, but he'll find me." Michael followed him, finding he needed to struggle to keep up. Dean really was more physical and speed was definitely included in that.


	46. In Somniantes: High Priest Gabriel

**In Somniantes: Part 2**

Castiel stepped through the portal and onto the other side without much of a thought passing through his mind. He already knew everything he could possibly think about the place, he'd seen it fall and he knew what it meant. The world was falling apart, people he once knew there were dying and it was probably his fault, either for causing it or not being strong enough to save it. When a priest visited a world to take care of a threat from the void they left it with a small warding barrier. It wasn't much but it allowed the crack in the world to heal enough that when the spell wore off it was safe again.

In Somniantes hadn't been quite as lucky. Castiel had woken as a priest inside the world, meaning when he left there was no such spell in his wake. The break in its shell was left to fester and spread. Castiel closed his eyes, he let the feeling of darkness pass over him. He'd originally told the others that they couldn't reach this world because it was in the void, while he still believed it was the right call to make Cas felt kind of bad for lying. Back then he didn't care much and lying would have come so easily, but now he couldn't imagine the anger and frustration he'd cause. And he could cause plenty.

He remembered all of it, as soon as he'd touched down on the mainline, priesthood and everything in tact.

_Castiel looked around at the vastness he'd entered, all the weird little fires lit up and the darkness below the road, nothing but movement and strange colours and lights above. He had no idea what he was getting himself into, this whole thing was overwhelming and strange and nothing made sense anymore. Cas walked down the path a little toward the main road, glancing back at the world he'd just left. It looked so twisted and the darkness pulled and pulled at it, large moving hand-like figures grasping, clawing._

_The surface below him started to tremble and crack, a loud, echoing groan came from the bridge to the world. It started to tilt back as more and more pressure was put upon it. Castiel felt his legs shaking as he stumbled backward, away from the monstrous darkness that lashed out from below. His eyes were wide and terrified, all he could do was watch as the connection gave way, the world falling into the depths below. It was horrifying, those weird beings had told him what was down there, how dangerous and awful it was. And here he stood, watching as the people he knew, his world fell to its death. The place he'd met Dean, the place he'd buried Sam, gone. His family was gone, forever._

" _I'm…" Cas walked to the edge of the broken path, staring down at the flame flickering down below, "I'm alone…"_

Cas closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he wasn't alone anymore, he had Dean, Sam, and Jet. His family was there, he was becoming whole again, it didn't matter that he was back. He could go visit the cemetery, he could go to his old yard, he could do any of those things but the thought scared him. Castiel didn't want to have to take part in any of it, he didn't want to do it but here he was, standing on the soil of his home world. No thoughts had passed through his mind when he'd first stepped out but as he really looked around he could see places he recognized once, what they were supposed to be. He could see people he'd known, almost no older than when he'd left centuries ago. It was all so messed up, this place was broken and the pieces were disintegrating into the void.

Castiel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes again and trying to forget it. But forgetting wasn't the problem, he needed to accept it. He had to get over it and he had to get past it. Cas took another slow breath and started walking through the street, eyes cast this way and that as he tried to keep it all in. It was his road, his neighbourhood, his life broken apart. Cas didn't know what he'd find, he didn't know if he should go any further. Most of the worlds, when the high priest was on the mainline, were frozen in time. When they entered another world all the worlds tended to start up again, time resumed and life continued on as if there had been no pause. But not In Somniantes, they were in this constant state of flickering time and to see it made him feel ill. Some of the cars were in the same place he remembered the last weekend he'd lived there.

And the thought dawned on him as he headed for his old home; what would he find in the front yard?

Castiel wanted to throw up but he continued forward anyway, he couldn't stop his legs while they carried him to his old home, his heart started to beat erratically as he approached. He could see something in the front lawn, he'd never had a chance to really look at what he'd done. The celestials had taken him to the in between world space immediately, trained him and sent him out to the mainline. Cas could feel the numbness sinking into his limbs as he walked up the driveway. Why he was doing this to himself he would never know, but he felt he had to see it, to finalize everything.

Someone he didn't recognize at first walked out of the house, but the long trench coat had his hopes up. Cas' eyes snapped up to the face in an eager race to see Dean, but it wasn't him. The other guy seemed to do the same thing except he didn't look much further than noticing another priest standing close by. Instead golden eyes shifted out toward

"Can't find him there either."

"Who are you looking for?" Cas called out, knowing he'd get the exact look that the other man gave him. It was Gabriel, an older one, Cas felt that this Gabriel was maybe older than he was though he couldn't be sure. Gabriel's eyes had widened when he saw that the dark haired priest standing down the road from him wasn't, in fact, his partner.

"Hold up, you're not Michael. Who-"

"Castiel," Cas cut to it, a smile on his lips as he ignored the slight trembling in his body, walking closer until he could shake the other's hand. "I take it your name is Gabriel?"

"You've heard of me?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow as they shook, his expression wasn't one of concern or suspicion but slight arrogance. Apparently having been heard of was a big deal.

"No, well, not you specifically but I've seen others like you." They both looked at one another's outfits, the same designs and intricacies, colours and material, all of it. "You're another priest…"

"You're acting like you've never seen anyone else," Gabriel scoffed lightly and shrugged, "Granted it's been a long time since I saw anybody… I mean we've never met before, are you new? Are new priests waking up? Which world are you from?" He was so upbeat, that same hint of playful cynicism that Cas remembered mixed in with an innocence that didn't quite belong either.

"I'd… rather not say." Cas turned away from the question and found his gaze lingering toward the pajama-clad body in the grass. He knew those clothes so well, the pattern, the smell, the feeling, he felt so conflicted as he stared at them.

"You looking for the prophecy duo too then, huh? My partner Michael and I have been all over the place, it took us forever to get here." Gabriel didn't seem to notice Cas' little freeze up, or he had and was trying to make light of the situation by talking more. He of course had no idea what made Cas stop, "I already checked the body out, looks like it's part of the reason In Somniantes is in such rough shape. Our priest woke up here and probably did this so we know he's not dead-"

"Stop." Cas cried sharply, shaking his head as he stumbled to the body's side, his legs shaking as he slowly knelt down beside it. The world felt like it was spinning, heavily spinning around him like a drunken top that was launched extremely poorly. Cas wanted to be sick as he remained very still, as if any movement would draw the attention of his dead lover.

Dean. Lying there in the grass, right where he'd been left, hands that tried to choke his life out now limply resting in the cooling soil. Cas was starting to find it harder and harder to breathe, he hesitantly reached over to touch the pale face tucked down toward the ground. It scared him and he didn't want to but the whole point was to finish this, was to put a lid on everything and get his closure.

Closure had never been such a horrible idea. Castiel's fingers felt like ice as he gently turned Dean's head, stiff and clammy and paler than he'd ever been. The blood had settled to the bottom of his body, it had coagulated and Cas could smell the rotten flesh already. It wasn't pretty, a corpse wasn't left in a beautiful way as some kind of photogenic scenery piece. It was ugly, it smelled like rotten meat, it was painful and made Castiel want to throw up even more than before. But his body held everything in and let it swirl and coil in his stomach like a tightly wound ball of nerves.

Gabriel definitely wasn't the type who knew exactly what to do when someone was upset, usually making jokes worked but Cas really looked distraught. "Hey…" He wished he knew what to say or at least something he could do but nothing came to mind. Gabriel rubbed soothing circles in Cas' back, he could see now that apparently this priest was either a bleeding heart or he knew the guy half blown apart on the ground.

Cas couldn't even try to choke out something to say to Gabriel, his throat felt like it had closed up and what's more his mind all but shut out the rest of the world around him. All he was seeing were the smiles and laugh lines on Dean's face disappearing, the sparkle in his eyes and that way he liked to wink at him. Dean was gone, his little personality quirks, his words, his love, all of it. Dean was never coming back, not this one. Castiel wished more than anything to feel it, to feel those arms around him one more time so he could say goodbye, so that in some way he could forget, move on. Dean looked so pale now, he could picture the blush in his husband's cheeks now faded to a pasty white. His eyes were lack luster and only added to the sense of a marionette with its string severed.

Cold, stiff, and lacking every ounce of life Dean had ever had. Castiel could go on about all the things wrong with what he was seeing right then but the words just wouldn't come to him. Part of him wished he were lying there too, lifeless and frozen to the rest of the world. But he reminded himself, the thought flooded his mind like a thunderous wave;  _'You have a new family.'_  Cas closed his eyes and let that take over, try and erase what he was seeing now.  _'You aren't alone anymore, they love you, and he would be so happy and proud to see you now, to see you happy and healing.'_  It took everything he had to forget the nightmares he'd had, those weren't Dean, they were self-made and that said nothing about the love they'd shared.

But still, he caressed the decaying cheek carefully, tears slipping from his eyes as breathing eased up on him. "I miss you," he whispered softly, "I'll always love you." Cas bit his lower lip when it trembled, "I mean that, but now I have to say goodbye."

Gabriel stood quietly as Castiel placed a hand over the world's scar, the mess and open wound left by the demoni and priest that had killed it. A light glowed beneath his palm and for a moment nothing happened, it was calm and silent, the time lapse didn't seem to faze anything for a few seconds. And then a flash, a pale colour barely noticeable as it blinded anyone stupid enough to look at it. The area was consumed in the light, slowly fading back into its usual saturated appearance once it had cleared. The ground was empty in front of Cas and the original scar, festering and gaping as it was, had vanished.

Needless to say Gabriel was in awe, "You're... you're the priest that woke from here, you're the legend aren't you?"

Castiel slowly rose and straightened his back, shoulders square and feeling much lighter, "I am, so I've been told."

Gabriel wasn't sure what to say, he was the magical one of his pair and to meet the strongest magic wielder of the priests was like meeting a celebrity. "Where have you been? What happened?"

"Well this happened, for one." Cas looked around sadly but not depressingly so. "And I think the universe is out to get me, what do you know about the corrupted timeline?" He looked over at Gabriel and the other priest's face told him everything; he had no idea.

"What's the corrupted timeline?"

"Uh... well from what my team has gathered, this has all kind of happened before. The Void being activated and risen, the high priests woken from dormancy, the last priests, all of it. It was happening exactly according to this prophecy I think and then... something broke. The prophecy was corrupted and therefore so was the rest of the timeline. A new one sprouted from the last significant moment of the first and that's the timeline we're currently on, hopefully on the right path this time..." Cas thought back to the journal entries Sam had shown them, "Things are already different, as far as we've discovered."

Gabriel's expression remained deceitfully neutral until he started to nod and furrow his brow. "Sounds complicated... I'm kind of glad I'm not the last priest, you've got a big job ahead of you."

"Have you found anything more about this prophecy thing?" Cas asked exasperatedly, "It all sounds too vague, like yeah okay it's specific as to where to find the first of the last pair but when it comes down to 'stopping the Void' I've got nothing to go on. We're going from world to world trying to fix things and I have absolutely nothing to work with, it's slow and I've been at it for centuries."

"We've been working on it too, things are grim out there. The Void is so much stronger than I thought it'd be, the monsters are complicated, even the little ones."

Castiel chewed on the inside of his cheek, which in turn led to biting his lip and dragging it through his teeth. "Wait," he looked up at the other priest thoughtfully, "How much did you know when you woke? How do you know about the prophecy?"

"Out of the common priests one of them will hear the prophecy when he wakes, kind of like a recording in his head. Visions of In Somniantes, the Void, and silhouettes of the last priests who will inevitably be in charge of the final battle." Gabriel recounted it like he could see it playing out in front of him, "In Somniantes looked like it does now except a little less destroyed, the visions of the Void were terrifying... Glimpses of different nightmares made real, unimaginable creatures lurking and this feeling like it's dragging you down with it. All from a simple image in your head. But at the end it's wiped clean, this sense of victory and power rises up in you like a surging wave as these two priests appear. One with some kind of spiked gun the other holding something as simple as a rod from what I saw. It was an incredible sensation, kind of meant to inspire while at the same time warn us."

"Wow..." Cas folded his arms over his chest and stared down at the ground without much to really look at, his gaze lingered on the patch of grass he'd left empty without his permission. "Sounds intense..."

"There are so many different places you can find out more about the prophecy but none of them are safe." Gabriel went on to say, "Michael and I have tried to venture to them but most of them aren't connected to the mainline. You have to venture from it, dare to go past it, and maybe you'll see what you're looking for. But there's no guarantee, the Void can get you when you're not on the mainline."

"I know... And two of the ones travelling with us aren't priests." Cas wanted everything to end quickly but he wasn't willing to risk Sam and Jet for that. But the rest of the universe was already in some kind of shamble or other. It was a difficult call but he didn't have too much time to make it in that moment. He could hear Dean's voice shouting to him, repeatedly and loudly. Cas looked down the road to see Dean bolting toward him. Luckily his partner was fast so he didn't have to wait too long, the need to see Dean's face was becoming less of a minor desire and more of a desperate necessity.

It was important at that moment to see Dean smile, to hear him laugh, watch the life in his eyes, anything would do. Cas just needed to hold Dean, and the more he realized it the more he found himself moving, walking, running, sprinting to Dean's arms.

Dean hadn't been expecting it but he welcomed the affection all the same, he'd give Castiel anything he needed and hugs weren't off the list. "You okay?" Dean asked softly, kissing the side of Cas' head.

Castiel nodded and sighed into Dean's shoulder, fingers dug into the fabric of his coat and holding tightly. "I'm just glad you're here."

"We need to go, Sam and Jet might be in trouble." Dean leaned back and looked at Cas' face, watching the concern wipe across his expression like a shadow.

"How do you know?"

"Michael, one of the other priests told me they'd been to a world called Futurum. It's a place where you can get like future readings and shit, sometimes if it's strong enough you get a little bit of someone else's future and he heard you tell Sam that we had to leave and Sam was screaming at me to help Jet. I don't like the sound of it."

"I think in no context is it ever okay to hear Sam screaming for you to help someone. So agreed, let's get out of here, it's making me sick anyway." Cas looked over at Gabriel, "You two come with us, it's time to leave this place to rest."

Gabriel and Michael both nodded and went to join them as the portal opened, no one bothering to get one last look; especially Castiel.

* * *

**Mainline**

They stepped out of the world's entrance and felt the shake of its pathway as the Void thrashed and grasped at it even more desperately and violently than before. It knew that the priests were there, that there were at least four of them present and to say it was agitated was putting it mildly. Cas yelped a little when Dean grabbed him around the waist and jumped away from In Somniantes as strongly as his legs would carry him. They hadn't been in there for very long but the entire point was to get information from the other priests. They'd gotten Michael and Gabriel to join them for the time being, that was a success if Dean had ever seen one.

Castiel used the same spell he'd cast on Sam and Jet earlier, the magic dragging them back to the mainline safely. Dean looked at him with a half smirk, "I get why you lied way back when I asked about going down to In Somniantes, but I still can't believe you lied to me."

Cas grinned a little, "Who's to say I didn't lie about everything?"

Dean kissed Cas' forehead and shrugged, "I don't think you would have." He looked up at the mainline road, not reaching it fast enough for his liking. "Sammy!" Dean shouted with a nervous tinge, watching anxiously as two shaggy brown heads peered down at him. Relief washed over both him and Cas as Jet waved and Sam made a bit of a face.

"What took you so long?" Sam called back, laughter in his tone. So far, nothing had happened.


	47. Mainline: What We Know

**Mainline**

Dean stepped onto the road and wrapped Sam up in a hug immediately, giving him a good squeeze before moving to surprise Jet with the same treatment. "Whoa, dude what happened in there?" Jet pat him on the back, not refusing or ignoring the hug just taken aback by it. "You guys look spooked."

"A lot," Cas sighed and hugged Sam as well, "It's good to see you're okay though."

"Why wouldn't we be? We were literally trapped here doing nothing for like five minutes." Jet smirked and punched Dean in the shoulder once he let go, "Seriously, what's up?"

Dean felt like he should shrug it off, that maybe he over reacted over something someone else sort of heard, but nothing in this crazy Void business left room for the freedom to laugh something off. It was too dangerous to let lie. "I heard something that may or may not have meant you were in trouble or going to be. I couldn't risk it so we came back here."

"How long was it for you?" Sam looked at his brother for a second then snapped his head to see the two new faces as Michael and Gabriel climbed onto the mainline road for themselves. "Who…?" Gabriel looked over at them and gave a bright smile and one quick wave like he really was too cool for the crowd he was entering. And then he saw Sam, his eyes widened a little, just enough to be noticed, he leaned toward Michael and whispered something that earned an eye roll from the taller priest. Sam raised an eyebrow and looked to Dean and Castiel for some kind of an answer.

Cas lit up instantly like he was showing off his family at Christmas, and motioned toward the two, "This is Gabriel as we know, this one is Michael. Michael and Gabriel, I'm Castiel, that's Dean, Sam, Dean's little brother, and this is Jet."

"A pleasure to meet you," Michael smiled at them and gave a little bow to be respectful, they were, after all, the high priests of prophecy. Gabriel smirked and slipped a wink into his show of 'humbleness'. Sam's lips pulled into a sort of smile and he returned it with a short wave of his own. Gabriel felt somewhat accomplished by that, however he felt a shiver run down his back. It was almost like a predator was watching him, Gabriel rolled his shoulders a bit and looked at the others to find what might be causing it. The other brunet of the group was giving a look that could only be described as murderous.

"Hi," Gabriel offered Jet a smile that he returned with a slow nod of his head, eyes dangerously fixed on the much shorter male.

"So, shall we discuss what we know and what to do next?" Michael continued, hardly noticing the little exchange.

Sam did his best to contain the joy he wanted to squeal with. He'd been so bummed for the last few minutes that he was going to miss all the important information and now here it was happening right around him. He looked over at Jet who had a certain 'I told you it'd work out' look on his face. Didn't matter though, Sam would be in the loop.

"Right, so basically we've got the prophecy thing down," Cas looked over at Dean who nodded. "When the Void was stirred so were the high priests, they're meant to work in pairs so one wakes first and goes to find his partner. This is true for all of them, even the final two who are supposedly meant to stop all of this. Nothing we know of says how we can do this, Gabriel mentioned that there are more details hidden in worlds that are off the mainline."

"From what I know of that," Michael took Castiel's pause as a good cue to start talking, "Those worlds are difficult to come by and there are different criteria that need to be met before the worlds are open to you. You can't just wander off the mainline and come across one, they're not like In Somniantes, they can't be accessed that easily."

"Which means what?" Dean's nose scrunched up a bit as he spoke, his eyes narrowing as he processed their next move, "We keep doing what we're doing and hope we meet the criteria?"

"More or less," Gabriel shrugged, "Not much we can do to force those worlds open. You can, though, go to Futurum and figure a few things out. Who knows, you might see something useful."

"The hell's Futurum?" Jet asked before Sam could figure out a smarter and more polite way to do the same.

"It's a world that has access to future events. Sometimes they're very in depth and intense, other times they'll literally show you getting out of bed the next morning." Michael chuckled, glancing over to Gabriel who just pouted at the memory. "It's a toss up, but there are four of you and two of you are indefinitely important."

"Hell of an ego boost," Jet smirked and nudged Dean playfully. "But what's it going to help if we see this?"

"It's worth a shot," Sam piped in, interrupting Jet before he could mention the journal. Dean and Cas hadn't started in about it yet and he didn't want to randomly trust people Dean might not. "If it can help us figure out our next move or maybe even give us a heads up about something, I'm all for it."

"Okay, okay," Jet lifted his hands a little to insinuate he'd back off, "We do our world to world thing like usual because they still need help. But Futurum comes first? How are we supposed to know which one it is?"

"Futurum has a trail of fire like all the other worlds except it doesn't have a colour, the fire is reflective like a mirror." Michael explained calmly, "You'll know it when you see it."

"Fair enough," Cas took a slow breath and looked at the two new priests in their midst, "So you two have met other pairs?"

"Yep," Gabriel nodded knowingly, "They were all pretty tough, I couldn't imagine any of them going down but I guess I just over estimate our chances. A lot of partners are dead."

"So the odds of running into another priest is slim then…" Cas touched his fingers to his lips, tapping lightly as he thought. "How long has there been this few?"

"It's hard to tell," Michael shook his head, "But it's been some time now. I really wish we could have spoken to the celestials, what have they told you?"

"Mostly the same things that we've shared with you," Cas exchanged a quickly look with Dean as he spoke, "But… there are some things I feel we need to explain. The holy beings are the ones that have told us about the corrupted timeline. They gave us a journal that a person from that first timeline had written to try and prepare us for what's coming."

"So you know our future?" Michael and Gabriel didn't seem at all upset about the hidden information, they were just glad it had been shared with them. Dean noted how refreshing it felt to see that, not like in every movie he'd seen where the new people they met always turned into raging assholes who stabbed them in the back down the road.

"Not exactly, we were told it'd help to prevent this timeline from repeating the same mistakes but then they said that too much had already changed for the same events to occur." Cas shrugged, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We know already that the celestials now are different than the ones from the corrupted timeline, we believe the original celestials were killed, sacrificing one of the prophesied priests in the process."

"That's probably why we get a second chance," Gabriel mused seriously, his bright eyes narrowed as he looked toward the ground, as if it had some mystical ability to answer any question that came to mind. "But even though it's nice I doubt we get another one, because the Void is only getting stronger."

"About that," Dean added quickly, "The Void doesn't seem to be restarting, it just keeps going from the very first awakening."

"Meaning the monsters just get stronger." Sam finished Dean's thought with a look of slowly increasing horror. "Even if everything resets again, assuming we fail here, there's no way we could beat those things a third time around."

"Yeah," Jet chuckled bitterly, "Ten bucks says the priests don't get stronger every time."

"Wait hold on," Sam stepped forward and looked at Cas, "There aren't any moments in the journal about Cas getting so over powered and passing out, as far as I've read anyway. Do you think it happens now because the Void is so much stronger? Or maybe Cas' powers are?"

"Good question," Gabriel looked Sam over again and smiled a little, "Sorry, didn't quite catch your name before?"

"Uh… Sam."

"Point is," Jet aggressively joined the sharing circle, taking a position between Gabriel and Sam, "We can't fail here, whether we think the universe and destiny will give us a reset button or not is irrelevant. What's the plan?"

"We need more information," Dean decidedly stopped himself from point out Jet's behaviour to him, last thing they needed was some kind of a face off. "I want to visit Futurum and see what they have to show us."

"Sounds like a good idea," Michael agreed and cast a glance to his partner, "We'll continue with what we're supposed to be doing, see if we can't save some of these worlds."

"Question," Sam almost raised his hand like he might be in school, he at least managed to stop himself from looking foolish. "Do we know what the end game is?"

"What do you mean?" Cas tilted his head curiously, his eyes squinting just enough to make Dean smile.

"I mean are we looking to wipe the Void out entirely or what? It's way too big for a few priests to handle."

"I've heard others say they've been to those distant worlds, the ones off the mainline, where part of the legend had revealed there is a way to seal the Void again." Michael explained with a sorrowful look to his face, Dean wanted to ask but wasn't sure he should. "Though the priests didn't get a chance to tell me any more."

"Why not? Sounds kind of important." Dean ventured to say with a look of ambivalence.

"Because they died." Gabriel glowered at him, the gold in his eyes only adding to the fury mixing there. "Those worlds are infested, the mainline is safe but anything off of it will kill you. We're talking dinosaur sized monsters here."

"Those aren't even the worst of it," Michael's tone dropped, eyes hazing over like a movie of memories played across his mind as he formed the words. His gaze shifted to each face of the four companions before he spoke again, "There are creatures you can't see coming, ones that could kill a weaker man with a single touch. If the four of you end up going," he focused on Sam and Jet for a moment, worry creeping into his features, "Watch out for these two."

Dean felt his skin crawl as he nodded, "Always do."

"Is there a way to contact you again?" Cas asked in a way he tried to nonchalant but he'd gotten used to people, he realized he hated being alone. The thought of never seeing them again wasn't something he enjoyed thinking about, finally finding other priests and people with the same goal as them it seemed silly to part ways so soon.

Michael seemed to sense the discomfort Castiel was feeling, he approached the other man and carefully took his hand to shake it again. A firm grasp that didn't let go after the handshake had finished, "Don't worry, Castiel. If it's meant for us to work together we will meet again."

"Yep," Gabriel winked playfully at Sam one more time, "It's destiny."

The pair bid their farewells and departed to the next world of their choosing. Jet scoffed indignantly, "Psh, friggin' asshole."

Sam smiled at Jet and stifled a laugh.

"What?" He was defensive immediately, eyes narrowed with a slight wrinkle in his brow.

"Nothing, so we find this reflective fire, right?"

"Sounds about right," Dean smirked and turned to Cas, "Ready to go?" It was nice to see Castiel's eyes so open, so excited. He'd been very down with their work, their lives, seeing no end in sight and what was worse was the depression that repeatedly hit him. Cas' life had changed so drastically from when he worked alone, he went from being angry, bitter, and a loner to someone that dared to look hopeful. Cas would be one of the first to see them all as a family, to love them all and defend them with all he was worth.

"Yes," Castiel sighed happily and started down the mainline again, eyes open for a strange flame. "I can't believe we really met other priests. I've been doing this for so long and yet never saw a single one."

"I can't believe they're both such dorks." Jet remarked snarkily, arms crossed behind his head as he walked.

"You're just being jealous," Dean grinned, jabbing his friend in the side.

While Jet swatted at Dean's limbs Sam and Castiel moved ahead, eyes fixed on something they hadn't quite seen before. One of the worlds' fires started to blaze, a brilliant and horrifying light cascading over every world within its radius.

"That's not normal." Sam muttered nervously, looking to Castiel who had been transfixed by the spectacle. "What does that mean? Did they see it too?" Sam looked toward the world that Gabriel and Michael had ventured toward, evidently they had disappeared before the firestorm.

"We don't have time to find Futurum right now," Cas started running down the mainline road, "A Void monster has breached one of the worlds, and from what I can see it's a big one."

Dean and Jet had both stopped to see what the commotion was about, their eyes drawn to the eruption ahead of them. "Son of a bitch…" Dean muttered, "Come on."

"Right." Jet picked up the pace, all four of them running to the world in distress.


	48. Childhood Sweetheart: Gigas

**Childhood Sweetheart: Part 1**

There was nothing more terrifying for Dean than to jump into that portal, he knew there was some awful thing happening there and that it was his job to go. But he also knew that the odds of him being close enough to Sam, Cas, or Jet to keep them safe was slim, and with the renowned luck of the Winchesters it was impossible.  _'Please keep him safe.'_ Dean didn't know what higher power he was praying to, God, the celestials, his parents, it didn't matter. As long as he got what he needed.

The rush in the portal was the same, Dean touched down still a little off balance but it was graceful enough. The moment his foot contacted the earth below he felt a rumble, tremors and shaking followed swiftly. He snapped his head up to see a small mountain town in ruins, buildings crushed and smashed through like someone was rolling through town with a wrecking ball; a massive one. People ran past him screaming, terrified and running for an escape. Whatever he was looking for it had to be close.

But then the mountain moved.

Dean's mouth fell slack as what he'd assumed was the peak of a stout mountain shifted and rose, displaying itself as the hump on a large creature's back. It's colouration matched mountains Dean had seen in pictures and its complexion was as rough as any rocky surface, he didn't feel bad about not knowing it was the monster in question. What did feel bad about was how much damage it had already done. The towering beast merely had to take a step and a house would be flattened along with its neighbours yard. The ground shook again as the monster leaned back and its mouth fell open like it had unhinged its jaw. A roaring screech pierced the air and drowned out every other sound Dean could hear, he had to cover his ears and brace himself as the shockwave blasted through. Its eyes glowed a wicked red, hiding in the deep crevices of its eye sockets. They were small for its face, beady creepy things that Dean was almost certain could shoot some kind of laser or something –aside from the fact that it wasn't a robot.

"Son of a bitch…" He breathed the words his mind was barely able to form in the first place, he slowly lowered his arms as his brain tried to comprehend the images his eyes sent it. Dean could feel the quickening beats of his heart as he realized that he was entirely alone, he couldn't see Sam, Cas, or Jet anywhere. "Son of a  _bitch_!" He cursed loudly and started running toward the monster. Whatever it was he had to take it out, and if he was so far away from the giant thing he could bet money that Sam was right in front of it.

Dean pushed past scrambling residents of the town, all of them flocking to the exit, fleeing their homes and hurrying to safety. He felt a wave of regret as he passed those that needed help but he couldn't stop, Castiel was there and probably fighting already. Why else would the monster have roared like that? And his mind just wouldn't shut up, he could hear Gabriel's words;  _"We're talking dinosaur sized monsters here."_  But Michael stood out to him more, the look on the man's face and how he'd turned to Sam and Jet.

" _Watch out for these two."_

He could have thrown himself into the sun and it wouldn't be nearly as bad as he was feeling at that moment. Right after getting a warning like that he couldn't find them, any of them. Cas needed his protection too, Castiel needed him just as much or more than Sam or Jet ever would, and Dean was alone. They were alone. Separated again and he wanted to punch a brick wall, they had to find a better solution to jumping through portals.

Dean could hear creature in the distance, he could feel its footsteps in the earth and each one made his legs shake. Nothing was going to stop or trip him up, he would kill the Void monster and get it out of their way once and for all.

Of course there was one thing that would stop him each and every time. Dean's ears burned when an all too familiar crying hit him; it was Castiel. It wasn't his Cas, he knew the difference by now, but that didn't change the way his heart leapt to his throat. He sounded terrified and hurt, moaning pathetically and despairingly as if he was trying to do something and it really wasn't working, almost like a child throwing a tantrum.

Dean changed his course and found the source of the noise, he was right it was a Cas and he was pinned by some debris. The lower half of his body hidden beneath what looked like part of a house roof, angled downward slightly to indicate he was in a groove or a hole of some kind. Dean was relieved to see him living and very little blood around him, if any of it was his it wasn't apparent. Cas was pushing at the rubble but it didn't budge, and anything that might've dragged a long and agonized groan out of him.

He looked around his immediate area with an expression pulled tight by pain and trying to stop from crying. Dean hated it, the sight of it, the sound, the smell, all of it. "Cas," he called as he ran over, kneeling down next to the panicked man to get a better feel for the situation and how everything was held together; last thing he needed was to accidentally cut this Cas in half.

"Dean?" Castiel choked out his name as fresh tears rushed free, "Is that you?" Shaking, bloody hands reached for him, Cas was in hysterics as he whimpered out a few incoherent things, "Oh god, you're here, you're  _here_. I'm so scared, Dean. I saw the house, it's broken and I-I th-thought you were-" his voice cracked and immediately rose into a higher pitched sob. Dean let Cas' hand touch him and reached forward as well to cup Castiel's face.

"It's okay, shhh, I'm going to get you out, alright?" Dean didn't have the heart to tell him that the other Dean might still be in the house rubble. It wasn't something Cas needed to hear at that moment anyway. Castiel nodded at him and tried to lean back, out of the way.

"It's too heavy." He croaked, swallowing thickly as he tried to calm himself down.

"No it isn't." Dean found the spot he'd been eyeing, perfect to lift from without harming Castiel. "Just sit tight, okay?" He grabbed the debris and found just how easy it was, the thing came right off like he was tossing a foam block. Dean stared at where it crash-landed with wide eyes, he hadn't done a whole lot of physical activity involving that kind of thing. The most he could imagine was roughhousing with Jet, he made a mental note to check his friend for bruises later, maybe he'd been playing too hard despite thinking he was holding back.

Cas was just as awestruck as he was, big eyes transfixed on the roof piece then on Dean, "You're… you're not my-"

"CAS!" Another Dean's voice broke over Castiel's, "Baby, are you okay?" He'd come from down the street, dirty, covered in blood and other unidentifiable things all mixed with sweat. "I went looking for you as soon as I saw that thing, I thought you were dead." He'd wrapped Cas in his arms and pulled him close, kissing him fervently, lips, cheek, forehead, anywhere he could manage.

Dean smiled and watched them with some relief, though he knew his family was still probably in the middle of the real horror story. "You two, can you guys get out of here?" He looked at them seriously, "I need to get out where that thing is."

"I've… got him." The other Dean stared up at him for a second but didn't bother with it, "Are we in some kind of horror movie?"

"Something like that, I guess." He grinned a little and nodded toward the now very shocked and frightened Castiel, "Take care of him, okay?" Dean didn't wait for a reply, he started running back down the road, hopping over the mess as he went; he had a Cas he had to take care of, himself.

* * *

Sam could barely make sense of what was happening as they hopped through the portal, and as he stared to take in the scenery, the disaster and horror laid out before him he totally missed the swinging limb near him. Sam started to turn his head though, he could feel the gust of air that came with such a large mass' movement. Terror filled him in those split seconds, his heart fell and froze, eyes wide as he watched the massive, clawed foot or hand coming for him. Nothing worked, he couldn't move; and then strong arms held him and pulled him backward. He recognized that grip, the feel of that body behind him, and though he thought death was sweeping down on him Sam felt relaxed.

It had been a foot and it stepped right down around them, they fit perfectly between its toes, giant appendages that were more than five times as big as them. The ground shook and he thought for sure he'd fall, forward, back, straight down, he didn't know for sure which way but he knew he'd never fall backward. The tremor was awful and once it ended he couldn't quite feel his legs. Sam's breath caught in his throat, watching as the limb lifted up again and soared over their heads like they weren't even there. "Jet…" he finally breathed again and he couldn't believe that his name was the first word out.

"I've got you." Jet lingered for a moment before letting go, his eyes trailing after the lumbering, enormous beast. Another step it took and again the ground shook incredibly, Sam felt dizzy and unbalanced, he almost fell when his sense of equilibrium lost track of itself. But he didn't, Jet held on again, keeping him still and upright.

"What the hell is that thing…" Sam decided to focus on the creature, not his position.

"Do I look like I know?" Jet had to shout now, the screams had gotten out of control and all kinds of sirens were going off, car alarms, emergency vehicles that were still on the road, even some little shops that had alarm systems set up. "You're the one with the journal, you tell me."

Sam nodded and fumbled for it, the thing had passed over them, they were safe now, mostly. He flipped through pages frantically trying to figure it out, there were little doodles but nothing much to go by. He was pretty sure he'd have remembered seeing something like this thing, but then again a lot of the monsters were unique in their own right. "I can't find it! I don't know!" He felt panicky, he'd never been that close to being stepped on before.

"Calm down," Jet gave him a light squeeze before he started down the road after it. "Whatever it is we need to do what we can, come on."

"Come on?" Sam squeaked, "Jet what the hell are we supposed to do? That thing's bigger than a skyscraper!"

"We help the people on the street, Dean and Cas are going to be flocking to that thing and we have a better chance of finding them if we stay close." Jet's voice had the same sense of urgency in it that Sam's did but he wasn't scared, at least not by the sound of it. Calm, collected and thinking straight. Sam wondered how many times Jet ran up against something bigger than him thinking he could take it on – the memory of seeing a young boy facing his drunken father came to mind and Sam decided maybe he didn't need to wonder.

"We're going to get crushed, we should get out of its way, go where it has been." He didn't want to follow it, his heart was racing and his limbs felt shaky.

"No, we follow it. We're already slow in comparison to the size of its footsteps so I doubt we'll catch up."

"But-"

"Trust me," Jet snapped back to look at him, sharp eyes easing into a softness that Sam would never be used to from Jet. "I'm here, I'm looking after you and I know that you'll be far safer when Dean and Cas show up."

Sam bit his lip but nodded all the same, Jet was right, safety was on its way. He felt childish and stupid for being so scared but he couldn't help it, fear crept into him like a nightmare in his sleep. He looked down the road, or what was left of it, to see the beast from further away he could make out more of what it looked like. As he looked he noticed a familiar figure standing on a building's rooftop, long coat flowing wildly around him as he watched the monster pass him by.

"It's Cas!" Sam shouted and ran past Jet, joy and relief coming to him and vanishing all in one moment as the monster leaned over. It had appeared long gone, walked too far away to come back, but just like when an ant thinks you can't be that close when you're two steps away, you can still kneel down and be directly in front of it.

The monster had moved so close, until its eye was right in front of Castiel, getting a good look at the High priest glaring at it. It's back was hunched, arms braced on the ground in such a position it reminded Sam of the old horror movie The Grudge, and how the monster had crawled its way toward its victim. For several long seconds the monster and Castiel stared each other down, Cas let out a breath and his eyes started to glow like Sam had seen him do a few times before. A light flashed and immediately dissipated, the monster stood and reeled backward while Castiel could only watch in petrified horror.

"His magic didn't work." Sam gasped before the thing bellowed out a roar that blew them all back. He'd closed his eyes, expecting it to hurt more than it had. He could feel the sensation of tumbling over the ground and he got a few scrapes, but the final impact was nothing like he'd thought it might be. Of course when it happened he knew exactly why, he'd hit Jet who took the brunt of the solid wall they'd crashed into. Sam heard the distinct grunt of pain and turned his head back, "Are you okay?"

"I'm good." Jet groaned and let his head drop backward, his face still pulled tight in a grimace, "Just gimme a sec…"

Sam looked to where Castiel had been but didn't have to search very hard, Cas had been knocked their direction and was lying a few feet away. "Cas!" Sam pulled himself up and ran to the priest's side, "Cas, are you alright?" He felt so useless, calling out people's names and being rescued constantly, crushing his rescuers and getting them hurt. He didn't imagine himself as the damsel in distress every goddamn time.

"I'm okay," Castiel sighed and sat up, looking to where the monster had continued its casual stroll.

"What are we dealing with?" Sam helped him sit up, watching the anxiety in Cas' face.

"Gigas."

"Sounds stupid." Jet grunted as he walked over, having pulled himself from the wreckage of the wall. "What do we have to do?"

"Physical attacks are the only things that'll work, but this one's too big, nothing I have will do anything more than piss it off." Castiel strained a little to stand up, eyes scanning the area for any signs of Dean. "We need your brother."

"Why'd you try magic if you knew it wouldn't work?" Jet's face scrunched up in confused frustration as he thought about it, "What was the point?"

"Had to remind myself why I ran away from the last gigas I came across…" Cas muttered as he reached backward into his coat, drawing his Pernach and aiming it up at the gigas' head.

Sam swallowed nervously and exchanged a look with Jet, the other male starting to look as worried as he was.


	49. Childhood Sweetheart: Eye for an Eye

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 2**

Dean leapt, hopped, and sprinted his way through the town like the hounds of hell were at his heels. They really might as well have been, too. His legs were burning and it felt like every step there was something nipping at him. It was all in his head, of course. His mind wouldn't let him rest as he bolted down straight pavement. It wasn't a very big town, or at least not anymore. It was on its way into becoming more of a city but that didn't change the fact that the whole thing was being demolished. Time wasn't on his side, each second he took to get close another person died and even more so it was closer and closer to that person being someone he knew. Dean could feel with each movement he was faster than he'd ever been, each step went further and his legs moved quicker than ever. It was like a dream, fluid and easy, no effort needed. He appreciated it, he could feel the difference in his body with every step, the adrenaline pumping, his blood rushing, all of it. But it still felt like it wasn't fast enough, the imagery of what his friends were going through kept playing over in his head. Castiel splattered on the ground, the monster would have thrown him or hit him too hard. Sam would be under foot or in the wrong place at the wrong time, a building crumbling and pinning him down. And Jet? Jet would find a way to get eaten.

The ground shook harder the closer he got, he was thankful that his priest given abilities included physical prowess, balance being one of those things. Dean would normally have faltered, tripped up and fallen, but not this time. His reflexes were astounding, he realized as he dodged falling debris and people alike. The more he pushed himself the more he learned.

Finally Dean could see more than the torso of this thing, it was close. He started jumping onto buildings, scrambling up the sides and hopping from rooftop to rooftop. He was almost there, he was so close he swore he could hear his family. Of course that was impossible, all he could really here was the sound of buildings crashing down and people screaming for their lives.

Meanwhile Castiel had fired on the gigas numerous times, attempting to hit it in the same place in the hopes he could get some combo damage. He was out of luck, however. It wasn't that he needed to add up the amount of damage he did to the monster, his weaker attacks were straight up negated. He growled low and continued to fire anyway, the gigas roared again and swatted at the shots buzzing around him like a fucking bug. "It isn't working! You two get out of here!"

"No!" Sam shouted defiantly, moving to run after Cas but Jet caught his arm. "We aren't going to leave you, Cas!"

"Fucking hell…" Castiel cursed under his breath, Sam meant well but what did he think he could accomplish by being so stubborn? The monster they were facing wasn't going to just go 'oh, okay they're defending their friend, guess I won't step on them.' He snarled and lowered his gun, smoke from the end of the barrel drawing his eyes down to the spikes on the muzzle. He furrowed his brow at it for a second, wheels turning in his head. He couldn't harm it with pot shots at its thick skin, he needed to hit a weak spot, but he hadn't seen anything other than its eyes.  _'Guess I know my target.'_  Castiel thought as he shouldered his Pernach, "Then stay here." The order left his lips as he bolted down the street and jumped on top of the nearest building, climbing higher and higher as he moved closer to the gigas.

"What is he doing?" Sam still couldn't try to follow, Jet wasn't letting up any. "Jet let go, we need to follow him."

"You heard him, Sam. We're in the way here, I get following when the monster is a little more our size but we're dealing with something bigger than skyscrapers." Jet tried to sound reasonable, his tone was even and he didn't tighten his grip any more than it needed to be to hold Sam in place. Of course the Winchester wasn't about to just take that as an answer, Sam braced himself and pulled for a few brief seconds before a thunderous crash caught their attention again. Buildings near them that had lost their foundations started to fall, the tremors caused by each step the monster took had grown to be too much. Sam and Jet stood in the ruined street, safely watching as some of the smaller structures toppled over like houses made of cards.

The gigas roared again, the shockwave sending Sam and Jet stumbling. They both looked up to see Castiel on the top of the nearest building to the monster, his coat like a whirlwind around him for those seconds he calculated everything. Every last detail of his next move crossed his mind before he did it, running and taking that risk, leaping off the rooftop to the beast's swinging arm. It was terrifying and breathtaking, to see Castiel's miniscule form against the gargantuan limb. It was like watching someone play the game Shadow of the Colossus, but the speed that Castiel moved with was astounding and by far more impressive than the awkward shambling that they had been doing on the ground.

Sam felt so useless and scared, like he had to do something and it was getting overwhelming. "He's going to need us! Jet let go-"

"And what the fuck are we going to do!?" Jet snapped and forced Sam closer to him, to face him and Sam really did see the anger Dean had always said Jet carried. "Do you have a clue, Sam? Do you? Are you going to follow him up to the top of that fucking thing and ask it nicely to stop? We're  _helpless_ , there is absolutely nothing you can do against that thing. You can't even piss it off!"

"Jet-"

"NO! Fuck, Sam!" Jet grit his teeth and gestured toward the gigas pointedly, his motions strong but controlled, "Do you  _see_  it? Have you fucking noticed that when it makes any kind of sound we nearly fall the fuck over? I said we'd come over here because this is where Dean and Castiel would show up, Cas is here and he told us to stay away from it so that's what we do. We aren't the super-powered priests, Sam. We're two regular fucking guys who happen to be tagging along for the company, moral support, we're like fucking comedy relief! Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Sam nodded, he'd been lectured by Jet a few times in his life but he'd never seen the other man this angry over something. Dean had seen it, Dean and Jet had been in fights before and Sam had seen the aftermath, broken noses, blood, black eyes, dark and angry bruises, the works. Jet wasn't violent with him but he wasn't above being yelled at. "I hear you… But Cas is here, we're safe with him it's fine."

"And Cas is just as fucking useless as we are! You heard me, you heard what he said, but are you  _fucking listening_?!" Jet was in his face and not backing off, Sam wanted to look away but he couldn't. Jet had never been this severe with him, screaming at him and emphasizing his point by getting even louder, and it was because he was scared. Sam could see it, the fear in his eyes swirling around like it was its own colour. "He told us to stay back, he told us he ran away from the last one he fought, he's barely able to make the thing look at him! Just  _wait!_  Just fucking waiting here, okay?"

Sam bit his lip and looked back to where Castiel had reached the gigas' shoulder, "I don't-"

"Sam! Can you do that?"

He looked at Jet again, his friend's tone had gotten softer with the last few words. He wondered what it meant, what Jet was more scared of.

"Please?"

Sam nodded, he didn't need to torture Jet anything further, "Alright…" He conceded but he didn't want to, eyes drawn back to where Castiel's mountain climbing adventure had brought him to the gigas' head.

It was windy up there and each movement the monster made was earth shaking for Cas, he braced himself and looked over its brow to gauge his next action. It was horrifying, to be so high up and see the ground that far below. He had trouble breathing the more he thought about it, but really he didn't have the luxury of worrying over it. Cas licked his lips and readied his gun, his feet hesitating only a few seconds before he made his move, sliding and climbing down as quickly as he could.

Cas caught himself directly in front of the gigas' right eye, his fingers finding a hold and his feet spreading out to hold himself up. It was a precarious position but he was balanced well enough to let go. The creature was reaching up for him just as he swung the mace of his combination weapon deep into its eye socket. A higher pitched screech rumbled and shook the area, Castiel had fallen but hadn't let go of his gun, which was still stuck in its eye.

The gigas roared again, stomping and stumbling around as it swatted at the high priest attached to its face. One swipe was enough, Castiel's pernach was dislodged and with a great amount of force he went sailing toward the ground. It was surreal, Sam could barely move or stand with how badly everything was slammed with pulse after pulse of sound and ground shattering steps. But he could watch as Castiel's limp body plummeted the thousands of feet to the ground.

"Cas!  _CAS!_ " He cried out but barely heard his voice over everything. "Dean! Dean, catch him!" It was all he could think to say, Cas was so close but not close enough for either himself or Jet to make it in time.

Moments before impact, before Sam watched the newest member of their family splatter all over the ground, a flash of blue stole the priest from midair. Sam nearly screamed with excitement and relief, Dean was there, Dean saved Castiel, Castiel was alive. He broke away from Jet's awestruck hold and bolted to where Dean had knelt down, Cas in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Dean asked immediately, barely giving Castiel a chance to focus. Blue eyes were so wide with shock and fear, his lips parted as he panted softly for air his lungs had struggled with moments before. "Cas?" Dean touched his face, hoping to get some recognition.

"I'm okay," Cas stumbled over the words, his mind barely catching up with him. "Just a little dizzy." He smiled dazedly, patting Dean on the arm with some reassurance. "Good timing, partner."

"Thanks," Dean chuckled, relief easing into his face like he was too scared to be happy for a few seconds. "What is this thing? What do we do?"

"It's a gigas, immune to magic and any weak attacks, it has a tough skin." Cas moved to sit up and, with Dean's help, stand again, "It can only be beaten by a strong physical assault, everything I do bounces right off so this one's all yours."

"Just me?" Dean gaped, too shocked to realize that Sam had come barreling his way.

"Dean!" Sam swung around him and forced him into a hug, fingers digging in just enough for his older brother to notice. "Good catch."

Dean smiled and squeezed his little brother back, he could feel Sam's body trembling, even just a little. Maybe he was hyper aware but he was certain it wasn't normal for Sam. "You're pretty shaken up, what happened?"

"Nothing." Sam shook his head and stepped away again, "I mean, nothing other than the gigas…"

"Sam…" Dean used that tone he always used to, the one with a gentle warning or demand.

"I feel so useless…" Sam explained quietly, glancing over at Cas for a moment, "There's nothing I can do…"

Dean knew he'd have to address this in full later on, it wasn't something Sam was just going to get over. "Sammy you're more valuable to the team than you think, don't be so down on yourself. There's more to all of this than running at giant monsters and taking them down, you know that."

"Yeah…" Sam sighed and tried to let it go. "I guess it's all just getting to me, I was almost stepped on back there."

Dean frowned a little, "Why would you get that close?"

"We popped up right where the gigas was about to put its foot down, I would've been flattened immediately but Jet…" Sam's mind refreshed itself of the moment, a familiar hold on him, the rush of wind and the horrible quaking of the earth beneath him. "Jet pulled me back just in time."

Dean turned to Jet who had just reached them, "Thank you, man."

"I said I would keep him safe, didn't I?" Jet smiled and shrugged, "But you're welcome."

"We'll finish this discussion later," Cas interrupted, his voice steady again. "Dean, you have to take it down. I'll get these two to a safer place, do whatever is necessary."

Dean nodded and looked back to the gigas as it got over the fact it couldn't see out of its right eye any longer. "Right, I'll do what I can." It was a lot of pressure but to keep his family safe he'd do just about anything.


	50. Childhood Sweetheart: Dean and Goliath

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 3**

The power and strength of the second high priest was something to behold. Dean didn't know what to do but he let instinct guide his movement, if all he needed to do was be physical with the gigas then that's what he intended to do. Dean used momentum, he ran full tilt toward the thing's ankle, joints would always be a weaker point than just trying to slam it somewhere in the calf. He drew his weapon and immediately it formed into a metal knuckle-like shield over his hand, spikes protruding from it like something from a video game. Dean wound up, his legs used to the quaking below, his body angled to bring as much force as he could when he jumped and slammed into the gigas' ankle. His fist cracked through its outer layer, giant fissures running up its entire leg and some of the mountainous surfaces falling to the ground.

The gigas shrieked, a higher pitched sound piercing the air and almost making their ears bleed. The ground started to crack just like the monster, shaken and breaking under its weight as it stumbled and fell forward. It was a graceful, soundless fall, the enormous creature like the world's largest monument soared over the land below it as if it were meant to fly. But it the earth again, and when it did the ground around it caved and ruptured. The town was practically dislodged from its foundation and as all the carnage unfolded Castiel did what he could to get Sam and Jet to safety. But really, there were no safe places, nowhere to hide and nowhere to go.

Sam caught Castiel's hand as the ground opened right beneath his feet, the priest let out a strangled noise of terror for those few seconds that he free-fell. Sam grunted when Castiel's weight nearly pulled him down, but he could manage it. The world around them was falling apart and for those seconds that passed them, with Cas hanging above a deep and deadly chasm, none of them thought they'd make it out. Sam and Cas shared a look as the younger Winchester struggled to pull his friend up, "Jet help me!" Sam called but didn't get an immediate reply. "JET!" He demanded louder and looked around for the other member of their group but couldn't see him.

Castiel didn't wait much longer, his legs scrabbled forward and his hands grasped for another jutting piece of land to grab hold of. He hauled himself up, letting go of Sam's hand as he flung himself over the rest of the way, gasping and trying to get a grip on himself. "Fuck…" He breathed, sitting up and looking around for the lost one, "Jet?"

"Gimme a fucking second!" Jet shouted from above them, hanging off of a precipice, a giant pillar of rock had burst out of the ground, displaced when the gigas fell. He was a good 50 feet up, maybe 40 but they weren't really trying to calculate that.

"Just hold on, I'm coming." Cas called up to him and started to climb the side of the pillar.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Jet snapped again, his arms shaking and fingers feeling as stiff as the rock he held onto. His position wasn't particularly comfortable and was by far the worst feeling he'd had in the last few hours. He'd barely managed to catch hold of the rock jutting out of the ground in the split second it'd happened, but luckily for him he did, the chasm had opened up beneath his feet and would have swallowed him whole. Again, it wouldn't have been so bad if he were above solid ground, losing his grip and falling would hurt but at least it'd only be a few stories.

It was all about footing and balance, Castiel was strong, physically stronger than any other man aside from Dean. He could have pulled himself up sooner earlier but he didn't trust the situation, the ground was unstable and a single screw up would have both him and Sam plummeting into the pit below. He could also just knock the pillar down, but there were still too many other variables at play, the possibilities of the column falling into the gorge were too real.

Meanwhile Dean had run up the gigas' back while it was face down, recovering from its fall. He wound up again and smashed off different pieces of its outer shell, the armor it wore falling off and splintering like cheap wood. Dean could feel his veins pumping hard, his heart in his ears like thunder as the monster roared again. It screamed in pain while he basically took off its skin, reaching for the softer flesh underneath. Tearing the monster apart wasn't as hard as he'd imagined it'd be, but that wasn't where the problem was, the gigas reached back for him, trying desperately to get the tiny human off its back as if Dean were some termite or mosquito.

But that little bug was far stronger than the gigas could have planned for, Dean had reached the monster's neck and started to pound away at it. The outer layer was stronger there and Dean really had to hit hard. The ground wasn't just shaking because of the monster writhing on it anymore, each hit Dean brought down caused earthquakes of his own, tremors and fissures destroying the land around him. The town wouldn't recover, the people that had escaped would have to move or rebuild if they could, but he doubted it.

The gigas smacked down on the back of its neck where Dean had just broken through, he'd seen the giant shadow over head and knew that he'd have no time to dodge. Instead of defensive maneuvers he timed it, swinging up and punching the monster right in the hand. He felt the weight on his limbs, the force and the amount of pressure his body was under. Dean thought he'd be crushed, that those were the few brief seconds before his life ended in a bloody smear. But he was wrong, the monster's hand did come down all the way around him but it was literally around him. He'd broken a hole through its flesh and stood within the gigas' hand like a fucked splinter. He couldn't breathe, nothing about that position was comfortable and it made his heart race. The weapon on his hand shifted and burst out into a doubled edged sword, cutting through the gigas' flesh like nothing as Dean put as much strength behind his swings as he could. The monster reeled back like a wounded animal, swinging its hand around and slamming it into the ground frantically attempting to remove the priest from its palm.

All of the quakes that shook the area like it was Armageddon weren't helping the situation that Castiel and the others were in. Though Jet's grip wasn't the best he'd still managed to stay where he was, that didn't help when the pillar snapped apart though. Castiel had barely managed to reach him, a hand on the back of Jet's shirt when the stone he'd been clinging to cracked and broke off its original position. A loud and frightened yelp escaped both young men, Cas' out of fear for another's life and Jet's all for himself.

Sam watched from his spot on the ground, horrified and moving away from the open maw of the growing pit beside him. Castiel kicked off of the falling rocks, Jet's shirt still in hand and luckily Jet was still in it. They hurdled to the ground and hit it with a profound grunt from both of them. "Fuck, you guys get into such weird predicaments." Cas complained as he struggled to get to his feet, "You okay, Jet?"

"Fine, thanks." Jet groaned as he sat up, looking over at Sam's somewhat relieved expression. He gave a thumb's up and pulled himself to his feet. "Let's get the fuck out of here, that thing's going to make a new grand canyon out of this place."

The other two agreed without a word and they started to run, Cas kept an eye out for anything falling overhead but there wasn't much else he could do. Dean was doing a great job, it was just a colossal scale of destruction happening everywhere else.

Dean was dislodged on the fourth hand smash to the ground, he tumbled to the ground and lied there for several seconds. His eyes had to refocus and his lungs needed to be filled. The world was a big swirling mass of noise and tremors, he gasped for air and struggled to get back to his feet. The gigas was starting to try and stand again but the ankle that Dean had damaged snapped completely off, anything holding it together had broken apart and couldn't handle the weight being put on it. The monster fell again and this time it broke the earth's crust, cave-ins happening all over including where Dean and the monster were situated.

Castiel spun around when he heard it, the feeling and shockwave coming after. "DEAN!" He screamed before the force knocked him back like a useless rag doll.

Dean would have made a thousand references as he fell with the gigas but he was a little busy struggling to breathe in the gusts of wind that blew past him. It was getting hotter and hotter the further he fell, the gigas below him crashing into everything as it went, breaking through layers of earth until it finally slowed down. Crushed between denser layers of earth the monster thrashed around and flailed like any trapped beast might. Dean rolled midair and went for its head with his sword first. The momentum he carried with him would be more than enough to the damage he wanted and Dean knew that a headshot killed just about anything.

And while Dean knew he had the fight in the bag, hurdling straight for the gigas' face he couldn't help but scream at least one line. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

God did he feel awesome doing that.

His sword pierced the monster's skull like nothing and Dean blasted through the gigas in just the same way. Its insides burst into mush in Dean's wake, a gargled and mangled sound erupting from its ruined throat, the last one it ever made. Dean's descent slowed enough that he rolled again, angling so his feet were dragging along the sides of the narrowing chasm to completely stop himself. He could feel guts and blood oozing from every orifice of his clothes and dripping from his eyes, nose and even mouth.

Dean spat and sputtered, wiping at his eyes and trying to see again. He started climbing up around the gigas again, he needed a clear shot of the sky before he could do anything quicker. It was a long and somewhat agonizing trip, his limbs felt like Jell-o and his mind wanted to freak about what had just happened so badly. As soon as Dean saw a sky above him he formed his weapon into a grappling hook, not unlike one he may or may not have seen Batman use in a cartoon once or twice. He aimed it up and prayed it caught onto something solid. A few moments later he felt it go taught and tugged a few times. It was enough for him, Dean hit a button on the side and it started to reel him in. A slow and easy ascension back to the surface.

As soon as he reached the top a hand caught hold of his arm and he looked to see Sam's smiling face, relief, terror and so many other things still linger in his eyes. "Sammy, you're okay." Dean sighed and pulled his brother into a hug as soon as his feet were on solid ground. He glanced behind to see Castiel and Jet letting go of the grappling hook; it hadn't caught anything solid, just his family. "Thank you, guys." Dean breathed out the words and closed his eyes, Cas and Jet walked over and hugged their gory friend all the same.

"You smell awful." Sam muttered with a laugh and all Dean could do was laugh right along with him.

"So…" Jet stepped away and looked at the demolition site that stood where a town used to be, "What do we do? This place is a mess…"

"Nothing," Castiel shook his head and wiped some of the guts from his coat. "We did what we could for this world and though this town is in ruins the rest of the world is alright. All in all we did very well."

The others stared at the rubble, each cringing in their own way. "Uh… right Cas." Jet scratched the back of his head and looked at the priest with a half smirk, "What happened with the last gigas you fought?"

"I told you, I ran off."

"What happened to the world though?"

Castiel's expression darkened and he looked away, "It's gone. The Void has it now."

They fell silent for a few seconds but Dean wasn't about to let them stand there in uncomfortable silence, not after his epic win. "So note to selves, don't let the bad guys win." He grinned and leaned around to kiss Castiel's cheek. "Is there a magic way I can get cleaned up or something?"

"Go find broken pipe and stand in it." Cas chuckled and shoved him away, "We could all use a bit of a clean up though."

Sam ran his hands through his hair and dropped his arms tiredly, "I can't wait until we find another bed to sleep in…"

Cas snorted out a laugh and started toward the ruins, "Don't get your hopes up."


	51. Childhood Sweetheart: The Rift

**Childhood Sweetheart World: Part 4**

The water pipes in the town had been destroyed, busted open and luckily for the boys, a few were spouting the cleansing liquid straight out of the ground. Dean went right for one and let it power spray him all over, getting the guts and blood removed lickety-split. The high pressure almost lifted him off the ground, it was strong and to him it felt something like a massage. Of course, that didn't mean the others would be able to handle it, Dean figured it'd hurt at least a little.

Sam eyed the geyser suspiciously, unsure of whether or not he wanted even risk it. High-pressure water wasn't exactly a pleasant or refreshing thing. That didn't stop Jet though, he got a running start and jumped right through the spray as if it were a sprinkler. Just like the other one it was high pressure and Jet nearly wiped out but he managed to at least remain on his feet. Sam had to hold his breath for a second to keep his temper down, "I'm astounded at how reckless you are, especially after working so hard to keep us safe." It was evident in his voice and he made sure to emphasize the last part for Jet's sake. He'd gotten yelled at for being so reckless before and now Jet had no qualms about leaping through an untested spray of water.

Jet however just shrugged and smirked at him, "I've got monster guts on me," he ran his hand through the mop of wet hair stuck to his forehead and slicked it back, Sam had to remind himself he was somewhat annoyed and not lose his train of thought in Jet's movement. "Sorry if that bugs you."

Sam pursed his lips together but shook his head, "Fine, if you're okay with it then it's fine if I do." He clenched his jaw and ran to jump through the reversed waterfall, it felt weird and definitely threw off his balance. For a moment he thought he'd stumble and fall on his face but Jet was right there to help him out. Sam's heart thumped rapidly for a few seconds before he managed to calm it, "Thanks." He muttered and stepped back, moving his hair away from his face too. Jet was just grinning at him.

Dean stepped off his geyser as soon as he figured he was clean enough but he didn't get very far, Castiel shoved him back over it, "Not done yet, gory-boy."

He scoffed and moved away from it on the other side, "Well then I'll just do it the fun way." He smirked at Jet who gave a thumb's up before he bolted and hopped through the water like the other's had done. "C'mon Cas!"

Castiel raised an eyebrow at them, a little standoffish for a few seconds but that broke soon enough. A smile spread his lips and he darted forward to join the others, tackling Dean through the stream. Dean was sturdy as hell so he didn't fall over, that of course didn't mean he wasn't shocked and yelping in surprise.

There was a lot of fooling around that followed, they needed a moment to unwind after something as hair-raising as the gigas had been. None of them had felt that shaky and scared in a long while, Sam's hands were stilly trembling, Dean's legs felt like jell-o, Jet wasn't sure if his elated state of mind was based in the fact he thought he was going to die or not, and Castiel still hadn't quite managed to calm his nerves. It was relaxing, like they were all children again or getting back to the core feeling.

Cleaning was simple, a little rough and a bit painful at times but the boys were soggy and ready to go. Dean grinned at Castiel who only rolled his eyes and laughed in return. Dean's hair had been moldable so they'd spiked it into a sort of Mohawk shape and he'd left it that way, water still dribbling down his face from the last time he'd leapt through the geysers. Jet had started a trend and he had to say, it was pretty fun.

Cas however had grown a little less comfortable with the thought the longer they'd spent goofing off. It hadn't hit him until after they were done of course, but he still couldn't shake the needy, anxious feeling that pestered him. They didn't have time to play, spending unnecessary time in worlds wasn't going to finish their quest and it certainly wouldn't make anything easier in the end. The Void grew stronger with each passing moment, maybe it was marginable but it didn't alter that truth. The world they were in was a little shaken up but they didn't have the time to fix it or explain the citizens what hit them.

He opened the portal and they all stepped through without having to speak much, when Cas was done they had to go and that was that. Not one of them expected anything different than the usual sensation, the rush of air past them as they travelled to the mainline road. But nothing like that happened this time around, they didn't touch down on a single solid object and suddenly felt like they were weightless.

* * *

 

**The Rift**

"What the fuck is happening!?" Jet was the first to be vocal and Dean was right behind him.

"I don't know!"

"Real helpful man, but how 'bout next time maybe  _have a freaking answer!_?" The sarcasm in Jet's temper tantrum made Dean chuckle despite the situation, it might've been because he legitimately found Jet's short temper funny or possibly because he'd just taken out the biggest living thing he'd ever seen. Dean wasn't really sure but it didn't change the fact that he was still snickering about it.

"Fuck." Castiel cursed a few times and snarled at the area around them, "It's a rift."

"Dean made a face and shrugged, "So what? We just make another portal."

"Doesn't work that way," Cas shot him a warning look for saying stupid things, "I've been in one before, you can't get out until you complete each task and action the rift asks of you. The celestials told me that it's very important to listen to it, if you fail to do as it asks it'll throw you into the Void."

"What does it ask?" Jet raised an eyebrow, having calmed down a bit since someone seemed to know what was going on. Not that Castiel's tone of voice was comforting but Jet still felt better about it.

"Anything and everything," Cas sighed and ran his hands through his hair tiredly, "It can go from 'kill your family' to 'tango' to 'masturbation' and everything in between."

Jet and Dean looked at one another then back to Castiel, "Let's hope for that last one." They both said without having to plan it or anything. Cas only rolled his eyes again, their commentary not needing much more than that from him.

"Hold on," Sam piped in, steadying himself by taking a hold of Dean. He didn't like the no gravity feeling, it was unsettling. "Where did it come from? Is it a Void creature?"

"It exists naturally in the same time and space as all of the worlds do." Castiel explained as he started to look around at the vast emptiness around them. It felt like they were somewhere but nowhere at the same time, the feeling wasn't something that could be described in words. Surrounded by innumerable things but nothing could be seen. "It's as neutral as they come, not part of the Void at all so the usual fighting tactics are out. The rift is more of a sentient world, we can't fight worlds we can fight the things inside them. What's bugging me is that it rare does anything at all, I've only been caught in one once in my times passing through dimensions and that was over a century ago."

"We must have stumbled across it, it catches things as they pass through portals, or I guess space and time in our case, right?" Dean shrugged, looking as though it wasn't that big of a deal. "Let's just do what it wants and be on our way, nothing to worry about."

"Except if it gives us an order to murder each other we'll have some difficulties." Sam frowned at his brother, not agreeing with the nonchalance of his mood.

The bickering would have continued but the sound of an unfamiliar voice broke their conversation. "Welcome," it was so gentle and calm, lacking ay form of tension or anxiety as well as any emotion. All four stopped in their tracks to listen, it wasn't hard to do really, they felt somewhat at ease hearing it. Cas was aware of the rift's ability to calm its inhabitants, it wasn't a bad thing, some of the tasks could be nerve-wracking.

Sam leaned over to Castiel, glancing down at the shorter male briefly before looking around to see if there really was something speaking or if the voice truly was coming from everywhere around them. "How many things are we going to have to do?" He whispered, his attention back to Cas now that he was sure the rift was a sentient world.

"As many as it wants," Cas replied softly.

" _Dean Marion Winchester, do a one handed hand stand."_  The rift spoke again and as it did a surface appeared beneath Dean's feet and gravity returned within his immediate space. He looked a bit disoriented with the switch from weightless to weighted but he recovered enough to stand straight.

Castiel meanwhile had snorted at the name, "Marion? Really?"

Dean's cheeks flushed red and he pursed his lips at his partner, "After my mom, Mary." He wasn't ever embarrassed by his mom's name but hearing Cas laugh at him for it was convincing enough to bring a warm colour to his face.

"Sorry, sorry," Cas smiled and shook his head before motioning to the floor. "Well get on with it, then."

"Sounds too easy," Dean frowned and looked down at his feet skeptically.

"That's because it is, just do it."

Dean obliged of course, flipping up onto one hand and holding it for several moments. It really was easy for him, especially compared to the balancing acts he had to pull while fighting the gigas. "Seriously, how long do I have to do this?" No sooner had the words left his mouth did he feel gravity leave him again, floating midair helplessly upside down.

As Dean flailed a little Jet grinned, he saw an opportunity and took it for himself. He took hold of Dean's leg and pushed it, making Dean spin around like a Ferris wheel at an amusement park. "AGH! Dude  _not_  cool!" Dean shouted as the world around him flew by over and over again, "Seriously! Jet you little shit! Stop me! Quit laughin'!" He flailed some more but it ended soon enough, he was thankful to feel Sam's steadying hands on him and putting him right side up again. "Thanks Sammy."

"You're welcome." Sam smiled, his face a little strained from holding back laughter. Cas and Jet couldn't though, snickering and throwing their heads back because it was just too much to see Dean that ridiculous.

" _Samuel Jonathan Winchester, have a staring contest with the person nearest you."_

"Similar story with the middle name?" Cas raised an eyebrow as Dean nodded quickly, trying to avoid his gaze. "Sam got the better deal I think." He smiled at the grumpy expression the other priest shot him.

Dean couldn't help the grin tugging at his mouth though, despite all of his efforts to be upset. "Shut it." The warning came out broken and edged with laughter, all the more reason for the others to crack up with him. "Seriously though," he looked to Sam who still had a hand on his shoulder, "Looks like I'm closest."

Sam nodded and positioned himself across from Dean, both staring intently at the other. The rift never said a single thing about Sam having to  _win_  the contest.

Cas and Jet stood by to watch, watch Sam's eyelids twitch as the burning sensation no doubt settled in. Watch as Dean's eyes bulged, fighting off the urge to just blink once. Sam bit his lower lip and dragged it between his teeth harmlessly, hoping to distract himself. Dean adjusted his stance and put on the 'big brother showdown' face, his lips almost pouting forward in that model way he always did. Jet nudged Castiel playfully and nodded toward them, "My money's on Dean."

"We're not betting on their contest." Cas frowned at him and looked forward again. "But… why Dean?"

"Dean never loses these things, kicks my ass every time."

Cas was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded firmly, "You're on."

Luckily for Castiel they didn't put any real money on it because moments later Sam had to blink, and the moment he did he threw his head back with a loud curse. "Son of a bitch! Every time!"

"Ah yeah, beat you!" Dean fist pumped once, as much of an older brother victory move as anything else.

" _Castiel Dimitri Alexander Winchester, whistle a tune."_

Dean wanted to comment on Cas' middle names too but he couldn't think of anything to say, it sounded cool, like his parents wanted a badass kid so they named him appropriately. He ran a hand through his hair mindlessly as Castiel puckered his lips and started to whistle. It wasn't a song Dean recognized right away but after a few seconds it hit him; Cas was whistling Metallica. And by the sound of it he'd chosen Some Kind of Monster. Dean hummed it to himself when he was scared or needed to calm down, most any kind of Metallica really but he preferred the empowering ones.

Castiel had opened an eye to look at him during the little song and Dean could have sworn both of their hearts beat in time, a little tinge of pink edged in Cas' cheeks and Dean could feel that familiar heat in his. Dean mouthed the words 'I love you' and it ended Castiel's song, his mouth unable to whistle anymore with a smile pulling at it. Sam and Jet weren't quite sure of what had transpired between the other two, and that just might've been what made it even sweeter.

" _Jethro Eli Tull, give a performance no shorter than three minutes."_

Since they all seemed to be on the page of listening to each other's middle names Sam really wanted to know Jet's. He wrinkled his nose and looked at Jet after hearing it, "I don't think I've ever heard your full name before."

"Not like Dean runs around calling me Jethro," Jet smirked at him and shrugged.

Sam's face scrunched even further the more he thought about it, "Your initials spell J. E. T."

"So?"

"Your initials spell  _Jet_." Sam threw his arms up, "What the hell!?"

"My parents saw an opportunity and took it?"

Sam was in quiet disbelief at that fact as he listened to the slow disgruntled realization noises coming from Dean and Castiel.

"Dude!" Dean laughed, his smile big enough to push up the little wrinkles by his eyes, "How did I not notice this? I've been your friend for how long?"

Jet shrugged again before clapping his hands together, "How old are we again?" He grinned and jumped up and down a little, amping himself up. "Okie dokie let's get this show on the road. Minimum three-minute performance sounds like song and dance to me. Gimme something to work with rift, c'mon!"

Cas was about to tell him it didn't work that way but the tune to a song started to play around them, a solid surface appearing beneath Jet's feet like it had Dean's. Cas could feel the excitement in the space they were floating in, the rift hadn't dealt with friendly, high-energy people before and its emotions started to show. Cas hadn't even known the rift was capable of that kind of thing.

Dean and Sam knew Jet could freestyle with the best of them, he was pretty talented but it helped that his self-esteem was unchallengeable. The second the music filtered through Jet was moving, Sam recognized it as something he'd heard Jet listening to a long time back already; Do It Like This by the Black Eyed Peas. Dean and Jet didn't have the same taste in music by far, Jet really enjoyed the upbeat stuff, and it really did suit him sometimes. Of course that didn't limit him to one genre but whenever he would dance it'd be to something more like that, something he could really enjoy and express something playful.

Not only could he move like he'd practiced a dance routine for it, Jet could also sing each lyric perfectly. His facial expressions matched the words, the feeling of his performance and body language. Sam had danced with him once before and had seen Jet do it, but he'd never paid attention like he was right then, with that strange tingling in his body and warmth pooling in his belly. Jet could really move, he was flexible and fluid, Sam had a hard time keep his eyes away from how easy Jet made it look. Sam and Dean had been to dancing classes but they didn't exactly dance like that. It was ballroom, it was tango, some ballet, but not a whole lot of hip-hop or break-dancing or whatever Jet would call what he was doing.

Five and a half minutes later Jet stopped, his torso moving almost like a wave as he breathed, panting and trying to keep it to himself. "Thanks rift, you rock." He called to the open space, not expecting anything in return but the darkness they were accustomed to flickered with excitable lights.

" _Never have I seen a group like you. I will let you out after this simple request; Samuel is to share a kiss with Jethro, and Castiel is to share a kiss with Dean."_

Dean and Cas looked at one another, they'd been close, they were close, they loved each other and they knew it. A kiss wasn't anything crazy, a kiss was something they'd both enjoy doing and it just felt fitting. Cas went to his partner's side and wrapped his arms around Dean's shoulders, their foreheads coming together so they could gaze into each other's eyes for a few seconds. "Last time I had struggled with the rift," Cas whispered with a soft giggle, "You three are amazing."

Dean smiled and put his arms around Cas' waist, tucking him in closer until their bodies were flushed. "The only thing I can say to that is you'd better not let us go."

"Never." Cas tilted his head and locked lips with Dean, both closed their eyes and sunk into it, the warmth and depth as they came together. Cas sighed and leaned on Dean, loving the embrace and the feeling of his partner right there with him. They finally let it go and put their foreheads together again. "I love you, Dean."

"I love you too." Dean ran his hand through Castiel's hair a few times, he glanced over at Sam and Jet a little worriedly. Sam had had trouble back in that one world, struggling with feelings and emotions surrounding Jet, Dean really hoped that wouldn't wind up sending them into the Void.

Jet would have been lying if he'd ever said he wasn't worried about the same thing, he tried to get his breathing more under control as he looked over at the younger Winchester; Sam was the one who was supposed to initiate judging by the rift's wording.

And while they all expected Sam to struggle with doing it, Sam was standing there more concerned with the thought that he might look too excited to kiss Jet. After that performance? Sam was willing to stick his tongue down Jet's throat, the question was more so how should he kiss and not if he was going to. He moved to Jet's side, curling his lips in and pressing them together consciously. He could see Jet's neck was tense, his chest moving slower though still strained, brown eyes fixed on Sam's face as if he were about to get the answer to a life or death question.

Sam reached and grabbed the back of Jet's head, forcing him forward and connecting their mouths in the first real kiss they'd share. Sam could feel Jet's subtle gasp, the shocked hesitation before reciprocating the kiss. But when Jet did return it he deepened it, saturated it, and made it mean more than Sam could explain. Sam's hand slipped from Jet's hair to cradle the base of his neck, feeling the irregular heartbeat only reminded him of the anima, of the scenes he'd witnessed and the way the sound of Jet's heart grew louder each time Sam made an appearance.

' _It's staring you in the face, Sam. It's always been there.'_  His mind told him as he realized they hadn't stepped away from each other, they hadn't stopped kissing and their mouths continued to move together even though Dean and Castiel were excitedly trying to keep themselves from interrupting, and Sam couldn't bring himself to think past the movement and the touch. Jet's hands were on him, those strong arms around him again, he didn't want to think of anything else.

Of course it couldn't stay that way, as much as his heart and body were aching for it. Sam broke it off, he knew that if he didn't Jet wouldn't, he could feel it in the subtle desperation, hear it in the softest little gasps Jet tried to stifle. He was about to speak but the rift started to shift and move around them. Sam didn't want to be worried but it wasn't normal, or at least he didn't think so.

"When the rift let's us go it puts us into another world." Castiel explained as the environment started to spazz out. "Don't worry, it'll be like going through a portal from the mainline."

Cas was the only calm one, however. The rift fell away from them very suddenly and the feeling of vertigo was enough to make them almost sick. It was very jarring and for Sam kind of upsetting, he hadn't quite wanted to let go of Jet yet but the moment the portal kicked in Jet was gone. Just like when they had all held hands way back in the first worlds, it didn't matter. He sighed and closed his eyes, waiting to see where he'd end up next and what kind of creature he'd possibly run into.


	52. Eat Your Vegetables: Father Material

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 1**

Jet steadied himself as his feet touched the ground, his heart still racing and his breath still coming in sharper than he'd like. His mind was stuck and his trembling fingers slowly reached up to touch his lips, still warm and damp from Sam's mouth.

He let out a slow breath and closed his eyes, part of him just wanting to stand there and take in what had happened, really revel in it. The rest of him knew he couldn't exactly do that, there wasn't a lot of time and he had no real idea of where he was. Jet licked his lips and looked around himself, the area was peaceful, it was a bright sunny day, warm weather and a cool breeze. It was nice, nothing about it felt threatening at all. He considered the rift and whether or not it would have sent them to another world with Void presence in it. Jet had no way of knowing, so instead of fretting he started to look for the reason he was there.

Each world had its own group, as far as he'd seen and they always ended up close to someone that was relevant. In the case of the gigas they'd ended up close to the monster instead but that didn't matter, mostly, because he couldn't see any monsters roaming about at that moment. Jet folded his arms behind his head and walked around what he came to realize was a school playground. He was on the other side of the fence at least, but the kids were all outside which made him look creepy as hell. Not to mention some of them were making some extremely excited noises; they'd seen him appear out of nothing.

"Hey!" One dark haired kid shouted at him, he couldn't have been that old, maybe thirteen, twelve. "You! Guy! Hey guy!"

Jet sighed and turned around, an eyebrow raised slightly at the teen he sort of recognized. Except this kid was pale as hell, skinny too, didn't quite look like anyone that came to mind. "What's up, kid?"

The boy's face lit up slightly when Jet turned to him, "Jet?!"

' _Ah fuck…'_  He furrowed his brow and walked over to the fence, "Yeah?"

"You look… different. How'd you do that?"

"What?"

"The-the thing you just did, how did you appear here like that?" His eyes were bright and curious, a pale bluish green that was starting to bug him. Jet thought as hard as he could, who had he met recently that had eyes like that?

"Michael," he said aloud when it finally hit him.

"Yeah?" The kid answered immediately which only made Jet want to clench his fist and do a victory pose. Maybe in his head.

"I didn't do anything like that." He waved it off casually as if he truly hadn't. Jet knew somewhere in his head that this kid was probably his link to the others, but he couldn't exactly take Michael out of class, it was like kidnapping. "Shush up about it, 'kay little man?"

"You got it!" Michael gave him a wink and stuck his fist out. Jet bumped it lightly as a grin spread across his face.

"That's my boy." He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued on his way, figuring maybe coming back later would be better for him. As he walked he came across the playground for the younger kids, like kindergarten level and five year olds. It was kind of cute to watch them run around on their stubby little legs; Jet wasn't listening to them in any kind of depth, just the general noise of kids at play. He remembered being at playgrounds, being the kid with all the scrapes and clumsy movements. His clothes never fit, he never had any snack or lunch with him, and his shoes fell off whenever he lifted his foot out of them. It wasn't really a fond memory for him, not the first part anyway. He'd met Dean in the second term after Christmas.

* * *

_Jet hurried into the school as fast as he could, his sneakers had holes in them and the snow they had gotten was too cold for his feet. He thought maybe he'd lost his toes but was too scared to take his shoes off to check. If there was a rattling sound he'd probably lose his shit, but so far so good. Jet rubbed his arms quickly and blew on his red hands hoping to get some heat into them, winter was his least favourite time of year, it was so cold and he never had warm clothes like all the other kids. Some of the teachers tried to help him out, some of them looked at him like the rat he appeared to be. Jet didn't notice that much, but he did notice how the other kids didn't talk to him or let him play with them. It hurt his feelings but he didn't know how to say that, instead he took what he wanted, and he took it forcefully if there was any resistance._

_He wanted to play with the toy cars they had, those big plastic things that kids had to use their feet to move like from the Flinstones. They were all occupied already so he went to one with a small blond kid in it, "I want a turn." He insisted, holding the vehicle still. "Get out."_

_Big green eyes looked up at him, such a girly little face studying his own in those passing seconds. "We can share." He said._

_Jet blinked a few times, surprised at what he'd heard. "You… mean it?" No one had ever played with him before._

" _Yeah," the boy smiled and shuffled over to the passenger side, "Get in!"_

_Jet's eyes were brimming with tears as he got in, small hands coming up to wipe at his face. As he wiped the tears away the make up that had been put on him went with it._

" _I'm Dean- WHOA! What happened to your face?" The other boy leaned forward and moved Jet's shaking hand. "Let me see it."_

_Jet's heart nearly stopped, no one was supposed to see the bruises. "Shh, be quiet." He hissed and tried to wipe the make up back on, of course he was a kid and had no idea that it wouldn't quite work that way._

" _You hurt your arms too," Dean pointed out softer this time, looking at the dark marks on Jet's arms leading into his sleeves._

" _It was an accident." Jet looked away and that was the last Dean had mentioned it to him._

" _Do you know how to drive?"_

" _What?" Jet sniffled and turned back._

" _Driving, do you know how?"_

_Jet nodded quickly, "Yeah, obviously."_

* * *

Jet continued on past the schools with that memory tucked away in his head. First meeting Dean, it was probably one of the best moments of his life, something he'd never change even if he had the chance to relive it. Dean was his best friend and like a brother to him, hell, maybe someday Dean would be a brother in-law for real. Jet smiled, the feeling of Sam on his lips still tingling. Love was a heavy-handed word but Jet was willing to say it, every part of him wanted to but something told him Sam already knew. How could he not? It was in everything Jet did, said, he loved Sam. It had always been there but only in the last while had it grown from the caretaker into something more romanticized. Jet wasn't positive on Sam's reciprocation but it felt real enough.

As he strolled down the street with those thoughts in mind he found himself at the entrance to a mall. Jet looked at it thoughtfully and shrugged, he never knew where he'd find the others so what could it hurt? It'd been a while since he'd wandered in a mall anyway.

After 45 minutes he realized why it'd been so long; malls were boring as hell when you had no money. Jet sighed and dropped onto a bench, hands shoved deep into his pockets as he showed the world how bad his posture could be. He puckered his lips and blew his air out in a low whistle, all he could think was  _'What the hell am I doing?'_

That question evaporated in the cloud of his thoughts when he heard a small voice crying very close by. Jet sat up and looked about five feet to his righta toddler was bawling his eyes out. Jet furrowed his brow and scanned for an inattentive parent in his immediate vicinity. To his dismay there was no one. "Seriously?" he groaned pulled himself up to walk over to the kid's side. The boy was covering his eyes, hands wiping away at his face and not noticing the young man standing behind him. "What's your name, kiddo?" Jet asked softly, hands still fiddling with the lint in his pockets.

Without looking the boy sobbed and shook his head first then sniffled as he tried to hide his face entirely. "Vincent." He was so soft spoken and timid, Jet knelt down to be a little more on the kid's level.

"What's wrong, Vincent?" He was shocked at his own tone of voice, he'd never really made a point of talking to kids, hell he kind of thought he hated kids.

"I-I'm scare, I wanna go home." He whined and looked up at Jet's face and for a moment he thought he might be Santa Clause the kid was so happy. Tears had stopped instantly as the boy stared at him, and likewise he was a little in awe of the boy too. He was cute, adorable and the weird little giggle that came out of him made Jet smile in the weirdest way. "Daddy! Daddy you found me!" Vincent squealed with joy and jumped into Jet's entirely unsuspecting arms. "I'm so sorry, daddy! I won't run away again, I won't, I won't!"

"Whoa, whoa now!" Jet wrapped the kid up in a hug instinctively, his ears were burning and his heart just about leapt out of his mouth. "Slow down, little man." Had he heard that right? "I'm your daddy?"

Vincent nodded rapidly with the cutest little laugh, Jet's heart almost melted on the spot. "Of course you are!" The enthusiasm with this one was through the roof. "Can I come home now?"

Jet was pretty sure that word would be the death of him. He couldn't explain he was from a different world to a freakin' toddler! How old was this kid? Christ. "Of course, Vince. Let's... get you home." He scooped the kid up and propped him up on his shoulder, Jet glanced around hoping maybe Vincent had run away very recently and the other Jet would appear.

That didn't happen.

"So pop quiz, Vinny, where do we live?" It was worth a shot.

Vincent put a tiny finger to his chin, 'hmm'ed and 'hah'ed really hard before he shook his head. "Don't know."

"Yeah," Jet chuckled,  _'Me either…'_  "What do you say we hang out at the mall, just you and me?" The reply was a hug to his head and an energetic nod. The boy was just really happy to be back with his 'daddy' again. Jet didn't have the heart to take that away, so instead he adjusted his shoulders and started walking around again, stopping by kid stores and looking at things. He figured it might be a bad idea to tempt the kid but what else would a toddler be interested in? He had no clue.

"Daddy," Vincent sounded close to tears again as he tugged gently on Jet's hair, "Daddy I'm hungry."

' _Fucking shit I've got no money!'_  He thought dismally, his expression falling dramatically, "Me too, champ."

"Can we have food?" The question was so innocent and he had no idea how long Vincent had been going without food, when he ran away and all of that crap. Jet knew pretty well how awful it was to be that hungry at that age, it hurt like a bitch and nothing else mattered.

"In a minute," he replied with a smile and quickly took a look around, gauging his options. The food court was closest and he'd seen a few restaurants on his way through. There were a few things he could do, dine and dash, steal some money, pan handle, steal some food, and of course his all-time favourite; begging.  _'Son of a bitch…'_  He thought he'd never be there again, looking for ways to feed himself while being dirt poor. Food court it was.  _'Seriously, I think I should find a way to grab some money next time or something because this is getting ridiculous.'_  He lifted Vincent off his shoulder and sat him down at a table, "Sit tight, I'll go get us some food."

He'd turned to walk away but he felt a desperate pull on his pant leg, "No! Don't go, daddy." When he looked down Vincent's eyes were wide and welling with tears, "Please, I don't wanna be alone anymore, daddy."

"Yeah alright, don't cry little man." Jet immediately took the boy's hand, his stomach twisting in knots. "Let's go." He gave a reassuring squeeze as Vincent beamed up at him, his puffy cheeks and wide baby tooth smile shining.  _'God, what am I doing?'_  He thought with a touch of fear in the back of his head. He was acting as this kid's dad, hell he was acting more like an older brother. How the hell do you father something? He had no freakin' clue. It wasn't like he had a role model to base it off of when he was growing up.

He didn't want to teach the boy to steal or showing that pan handling probably works somewhat, so he went with what he had. "Excuse me," he went to a place with someone who looked at least a little sympathetic. The girl looked at him, took a double take and smiled charmingly right back at him. "Hey, I just found this kid and there's no one around, he's starving and I don't really have any money. Do you think you could help me out?" He put on the most sincere expression, almost looking like a lost kid himself.

She leaned over the counter and looked at Vincent who did have the appearance as if he'd been out on his own for far too long. Her expression shifted to something he'd been banking on, that awe struck and sentimental look that led to him having a kid's meal in no time. It didn't get him fed but he didn't really care all that much, Vincent was happily chowing down at a table in the food court and Jet felt like maybe he wasn't such a screw up. Another version of him had been doing a pretty good job with this kid, though he wasn't sure what the whole running away thing was about. What he did know was that if this kid's dad ever hit him there was no way Vincent would have hugged him like that, no way in hell.

"So why'd you run?" He asked with his face propped up in his hand, watching as the toddler made a mess of just about everything.

Vincent looked at him and for a second Jet forgot he was talking to a three year old. "You said no."

"What'd I say no to?"

"I wanted a puppy but it's ok now, I don't want one no more." Vincent went back to his sandwich and all Jet could do was run a hand through his hair. This little boy thought he was his dad, there was no way in hell he could tell Vincent he wasn't, and he couldn't bring him home either because neither of them knew where Vincent lived.

' _I'm about to have a very frustrating day…'_  He returned the smile Vincent shot him, doing his best to make sure none of his feelings showed. Jet was terrified, he'd never seen himself as father material, to teach and raise someone into a functioning adult. He was barely a functioning adult, it was impossible, how did normal parents do that every day?

"I love you daddy." Vincent had gotten up and walked under the table to hug him around his middle, a tiny, messy face nuzzling his shirt. Jet hesitated but hugged Vincent back.

"You too." He couldn't quite say it.


	53. Eat Your Vegetables: Aliens

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 2**

Castiel looked around as soon as his foot hit soil, it was a habit made a long time ago and really he found it to be a fantastic practice. More than once that action saved his life and this time was no different, the sound of screeching tires echoed in his ears as he leapt off the ground and jumped over a familiar car speeding toward him. It was close but he wasn't grazed, Cas landed as gracefully as ever while the car slid to a stop. He adjusted his coat and straightened up, casually intending to move along his way when the door opened and that face popped up, Dean's eyes wide and his mouth open in silent shock. Cas smiled and just took it in, thinking about his Dean, his partner, the man he'd grown so close to in the short while they'd known one another. He recognized that look, the expression of a man staring at the one he loved more than anything. On top of that though were the complexities of nearly striking that person with a car.

"Cas?! What are you doing here? I almost hit you, are you okay?" He babbled as he hurried to the priest's side and started looking him over, hands on him and checking for injuries. "Jesus, Cas, why were you in the middle of the road?"

"No reason," Castiel shrugged easily, finding that his stubborn and stern demeanor had drifted from him. It didn't hurt to see Dean's face anymore, any Dean, it didn't bother him how much time it was taking them to challenge the Void, the fate of the world didn't even make him twitchy anymore. His family was with him, they were all together and he was accepted. He wasn't alone. So why get uppity with this guy? Why freak out and go 'the world is ending so tell me where the monster is!'? He could just as easily relax and shrug his shoulders; he really wasn't doing anything in the middle of the road.

"How did you even get there? I thought you were spending the day looking for Vincent with Sam?"

Though Cas didn't know who Vincent was he guessed it was important, but even then he couldn't bring himself to fake being the Cas this Dean knew. He figured he'd go the simpler route. "The answer to your questions isn't an easy one so I'll just say that shit happens." Cas started walking toward the signature car that most every Dean owned. "Where are you off to again?"

"Uhm… well work, I can't take the day off." Dean watched Cas with worried eyes, he could have sworn he saw the other appear out of thin air. "Where's Sam?"

Cas sighed and shrugged, "Not sure, I'm not the Castiel you know so Sam's probably with your partner." He knew already that Dean and the other Cas were together, it was in how Dean looked at him, touched him and sounded when they spoke together. Of course those things would be somewhat confused now that the priest had admitted the truth. "I know, you think I'm being extremely strange right now, but I'm not the only one. There's another you, another Sam, and do you know a guy named Jet?"

Dean made a face as if he were asked if he breathed air, "Of course, Cas you know I grew up with him."

Still wasn't wrapping his head around the idea that this Castiel wasn't his Castiel. "I don't know that because I've just met you, Dean. There's another Jet with us too, so to reiterate; I'm not your Cas." He offered a reassuring smile, "Call him, you'll see."

The screwed up expression on Dean's face was almost hilarious as he slowly pulled out his phone and hit a single button to speed dial his lover. The phone rang and Cas watched Dean's face closely as there was a click and a voice on the other side. Dean stared at the priest across from him in disbelief, "Uh hey babe, where are you?"

" _Where you dropped me off, where are you?"_  The Cas on the other side sounded a little surprised, the priest would have bet money that he was standing in front of his partner.

"I'm in the middle of the road because I almost hit you with a car, that's where I am." Dean was flustered; his face twisted and eyes watching the stranger in front of him now like he were an alien. Castiel figured it was the fault of too many movie marathons. "Or… someone who looks and sounds just like you."

" _Okay that's weird, I'm kind of looking at you and another Sam right now, like there are two Sam's standing here and I'm sort of freaking out. What is happening? Is there a wormhole? Is that where Vincent went? This is so weird and terrifying."_  Cas babbled on the other line, his voice almost cracking a few times as he stumbled over his words. Stress was definitely getting to him.  _"Can you come back, please? I don't know what to do here."_

"Yeah, I'll just let work know." Dean wasn't sure what he was going to let work know, probably just lie and say he was sick, it was easiest. "Stay where you are, we'll come get you."

" _Okay, thanks babe."_

They hung up and Dean looked at the strange Castiel warily, "We're going to go meet your friends then… Where are you from?"

"Would you like me to answer that now or later when everyone present can hear it?" Cas continued on to the Impala again, his stroll fairly relaxed. Nothing was happening in this world, hell he didn't even know if anything was actually going to happen, as far as they knew the fire for this world could be as docile as the one they'd entered to relax. Of course he wouldn't leave until he was sure, but that didn't mean he had to freak out over it.

"Make it later," Dean conceded to the logic and followed Cas to his car, he still kept an eye on the other but Cas didn't seem to be doing much more than looking out the window. "How'd you dodge the car?" He asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I jumped, aren't you going to call your work?" Cas looked at him with an eyebrow raised, a smile on his lips.

Dean furrowed his brow and pulled his phone out, a little grumpy about the whole ordeal. Ask a question and get sassed back, it wasn't that strange of his Castiel to do it but this one did it differently, a little more like Cas was older than he was. That thought was weird enough on its own, he didn't feel like adding to it and so he dialed his work number.

* * *

Cas hung the phone up on his end and looked at the smiling faces of a different set of Winchesters, one looked just like Sam and the other looked just like Dean. It was disturbing and a little unsettling to have two Sam's in the same line of sight while neither of them was on any kind of screen, or in a picture frame. "And I thought just one of you was bad enough," He joked with a somewhat anxious laugh, clearing his throat to get his personality back on the right track.

"Very funny," His Sam hissed at him, "Is Dean coming?"

"Yeah he's on his way, did you send Jet a message?"

"He's already at work, he won't get it until his break." Sam shook his head.

Cas nodded and glanced suspiciously at their strange Winchester friends standing across from them, "So are you guys aliens or something? Why do you look like Sam and Dean?"

"We are Sam and Dean," The other Sam pointed out, "Just not from around here."

"Time travel?" Cas' brow only got more dramatic as he asked.

"Too many movies?" Dean grinned and raised an eyebrow at Cas who's expression softened and an oh so familiar smile graced his lips.

"Baby you have no idea." Cas looked him over and winked playfully which earned him an elbow jab to the ribs. "OW!"

"Stop flirting with other people!" Sam snapped in a way only a close friend or brother would.

"What? It's Dean!"

"Not the same and you know it."

"Alright, alright," Cas rolled his eyes and turned back to Dean and the other Sam apologetically, "I'm sorry, it's just habit with pretty faces."

"Probably better that way," Dean shrugged with a lighthearted laugh, "I've got my own baby waiting for me."

"Yeah probably, ever consider an orgy?" Castiel's face lit up in a devious way that made Dean's stomach flip, it wasn't a bad flip either, more surprised and enticing than anything else.

"Cas!" The other Sam gawked, "Stop!"

"What?! Don't tell me you'd turn down two Jet's if you had the opportunity."

Both Sam's turned a little red, the colour staining pale cheeks far too easily. The traveller tried to hide it but Dean noticed. "So Sam hooked up with Jet in this world, huh? What do you think about that, Sammy? What would it be like to be with Jet?"

"Dean..."

Castiel snorted back a laugh, "Even their warning tones are the same."

Dean snickered as he nodded, "Right? And to answer your question, Cas and I haven't done it yet, so... I think that's a no."

"Are you serious?" Cas gawked in the same way his Sam had, eyes wide in complete shock and he wasn't even kidding. "That's how I met my Dean, first night we fucked and I swear got each other's names after. How do you do that? God, look at the patience on you - ow! Sam!" Another bump to his ribs, it was starting to hurt a little.

"Not everyone has sex that soon Cas, we don't all have the libido of Zeus."

"If you're calling me a sex god I'll take that as a compliment." Castiel remarked with a puffed up chest, his head tilted back with the smuggest expression Dean and his brother had seen. The other Sam however seemed completely used to it. "But seriously, Dean, you have to have sex with him. What's stopping you?"

"No real opportunity and we hadn't been close enough for it until recently." Dean had liked Castiel pretty early on but it took Cas time to get back to a possible relationship read state. Dean had no qualms about waiting, Castiel was worth every passing moment. Of course that wasn't to say he wasn't itching to see and feel that lithe, strong body against his. It'd been too long since he'd gotten off.

"Tell you what, I'll give you guys a place to sleep and all the opportunity you need." Cas winked at him again, though this time it was for the other Castiel's sake. Still effective though.

"If he's cool with it I will take you up on that." Dean grinned and nodded toward his younger brother, "Sammy will too."

"Dean! We only kissed and that was for the rift," Sam wasn't sure why he was so defensive, kissing Jet had been phenomenal. He wanted to do it again, to feel the heat of Jet's mouth on his and that strong tongue pushing back against him. In fact he intended to do it once he saw that shaggy head.

"Two rooms it is then." Cas grinned like a Cheshire cat, "Oooh I can't wait, this is going to be so good. The first time is like really good crack, best experience of your life."

"Cas I don't want to know how you know what crack is like." The other Sam sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Dean smiled, his cheeks feeling a little rosy all on their own. He and Sam were both apparently fairly bent out of shape about all of that; it'd been far too long since either of them got off and the tension was starting to show. As much as Dean didn't want to push it he was really hoping Cas said yes to staying the night.


	54. Eat Your Vegetables: Found You

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 3**

The group of Winchesters waited together, both Sam's sitting beside each other on a park bench, the dimension traveller kind of fidgety while the other was nervously looking around. The traveller glanced at his counterpart and bit his lower lip before deciding to address the behaviour, "What're you looking for?"

"Our son ran off a day ago and we haven't been able to find him..." The other Sam groaned, dropping his face into his hands.

"Your... son? Like... you and Jet have a kid?"

"Yeah."

Sam was quiet for a while, curled his lips into his mouth and out again, "I hate to ask..."

"What's it like with Jet?" His counterpart laughed softly, knowing the question before it was even asked.

"How'd you-?"

"We're not that different, I'd ask you the same if I were in your position." The other Sam sighed and leaned back against the bench, "It's nice, he's capable, strong, and responsible when he needs to be but more importantly than any of that he loves so fiercely. When you're important to him there's nothing he won't do for you, and I mean nothing."

It wasn't so much what he said that got to Sam, Sam knew all of that about Jet already, what got him was how it was said. Like this other Sam had experienced it first hand, had seen the lengths Jet would go to and was so far in it that he almost couldn't imagine being with Jet in his life. "I nearly grew up with him around, he was friends with my brother." The traveller spoke up, his smile unyielding to his will to keep it down. "He was always there, when I needed him and when I didn't. I know what knowing him is like, being... being loved by him, but what's it... how is it in a relationship? Is it weird?"

The other Sam laughed, "At first maybe a little, he's got a personality that switches to a 'relationship mode.' He gets really sentimental and sweet, and I would never trade what I have with him for anything. Yeah okay, when we fight it's explosive but I don't know, it just works. I love him."

Sam didn't think he'd ever forget the yearning he felt in his being that day, to see Jet and tell him exactly that.  _'I love you.'_  Everything his other self was describing he had felt, whenever they argued it was loud and angry but the rage never stuck with either of them, it never mattered. He'd felt it when Jet looked at him, that sweetness, the emotional side he'd never really seen growing up. Yes, Jet had been there for him whenever he wanted, but when they were younger Jet was emotionally disconnected a lot of the time. Like Sam was his buddy's little brother for the longest time, but it slowly changed and Sam ended up being Jet's family too. After all that time Sam wanted to say he was still family to Jet, but maybe it was more than that now.

Dean sat next to Castiel comfortably, they enjoyed each other's company, even though they weren't allowed to do much of anything. Dean looked at the dark haired young man and kind of smiled, "You're pretty young, huh? Is Dean older?"

Castiel nodded, "Yep, we met when I was in high school sneaking into bars." He grinned wildly and Dean was pretty sure he knew exactly why the other him fell for it. "I was pretty bad back then."

"Hence the crack references?"

"I never actually did it I just read books and watched movies that involved it. My body wouldn't be able to handle that kind of thing, I figure. It's okay, I just would never risk it, I did poorly enough in school as it was." Cas checked his phone absently, "Speaking of, school should be in session now. Mike had better be there, I swear if he's anything like me he won't be."

"Who's Mike?" Dean furrowed his brow, hoping it wasn't another child situation. And Mike? As in Michael? As in the priest he'd met not too long back? Dean wasn't sure he liked how everyone he was meeting could possibly be a priest somewhere else, it was kind of weird and maybe just in his head.

"My little brother, he's like thirteen now." Cas shrugged and stuffed his phone away, "Dean and I are taking care of him."

"Mom and dad not around?"

"Mom took care of him while Dean and I worked, dad works at the shop." Castiel cast a glance over at the Sam's, "Sam went to Stanford and Jet was working, so we left it to mom too often. Dean and I got on our feet and took over, Mike's been with us for a few years now."

Dean scrunched up his face a little, "So when you say mom and dad you mean your mom and dad or mine?"

"Uh... mine? John and Mary Winchester adopted me at a young age, they're my parents. My birth parents were... monsters. Michael and I are related by blood, but Sam has been my brother since I can remember. Dean went missing at a young age so we didn't meet until I was in high school, and even then I didn't know who he was. I guess it's all a little incest-y but I don't really care."

"A little." Dean pinched his fingers together with a somewhat scrutinizing face, he didn't mean to but it just kind of happened. By law Dean and Castiel were brothers but they were together now, it was kind of strange to think about. "But hey, if you love him then who cares, right?"

"Exactly." Cas nodded firmly, that little sparkle in his eye Dean recognized from his Castiel. It was adoration and nothing but love, Dean loved that glint because more often than not it was aimed his way. "So do you want to fuck him?" Cas asked out of the blue and nearly startled Dean from his seat.

"No." Dean regained his composure and shook his head immediately, surprising the other Cas a little. "I want to do so much more than that, to mean more than that. Cas..." He could picture it so clearly, those bright blue eyes staring at him from the base of a statue, the slow shift of that body when it moved driving him crazy, and more than that he could hear Castiel's voice in his head. "I love him. I need him, he's the love of my life beyond a shadow of a doubt. I wish there were more ways to say it, to share that, but I don't know how. I just do what I can and hope it's good enough for him, because Cas deserves the best and he wants me so he deserves my best. I'll do everything in my power to make him happy again, to see him smile easily like you can. He's been through so much and I can't begin to relate to it, all I can do is be there for him, tell him I love him, that he's okay... Cas will always be my baby." He smiled and looked at the other Castiel who looked so sentimental over what he was saying, eyes a little wet as they looked at one another.

"That was beautiful, Dean."

"Thanks." Dean sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, grinning like an idiot. "He's hot as hell too, like he's older than you are, he's got a hell of an attitude and I just love that ass. Like, we both wear these long coats so I don't always see it but when I do," he bit his lower lip, eyes staring distantly as a low rumble started to creep up on them.

"Sounds like you've got it bad." Cas' eyebrows bobbed up and down quickly before he got up and went to wave at the Impala approaching.

When it stopped the other Dean and priest got out, each going to their respective partners. The two priests smiled at one another when they stood face to face, wanting to hug but not sure they'd been apart long enough. They both decided it was stupid and went for it at the same time, Dean laughed softly and nuzzled his cheek against the stubble on Cas', enjoying the little scratching feeling. "I missed you." He whispered sweetly into his partner's ear, noting how Cas' skin started to form the little bumps, and he'd never forget the soft gasp Castiel let out when Dean's breath tickled his inner ear.

"I missed you too," Cas squeezed a little harder, cupping the back of Dean's head.

The other Dean and Castiel couple had hugged and kissed and stepped away from one another. "So you get any info?" Dean asked right away and his lover shrugged with a shake of his head.

"Not much explaining the situation, you?"

"No, he didn't want to explain it more than once." Dean pouted as he looked over at the outfit-matching priests, "Hey! Wanna let us in on what's up now?"

"We're from different dimensions," Cas answered first, something he was still more accustomed to. "There are many different realities and this is one we are currently visiting. While most of the time when we are around it means there's something threatening in your dimension, this time we were spat out here by something else so we may just be passing through."

The regular couple looked at one another, both feeling the urge to reference movies and television shows but neither said anything. "So... you don't really have an agenda here?" Dean decided to ask, raising an eyebrow at the strange group as Sam went to join his companions.

"Not really, all we're missing is Jet and we'll probably be on our way." Priest Dean answered with a halfhearted shrug, "He'll probably end up with your Jet or something, we tend to wind up around our counterparts or important individuals."

"Right..." The other Cas ran a hand through his hair just before Dean's phone started to ring, he recognized the ringtones Dean had and furrowed his brow, "That's the school calling..."

"Mike," Dean rolled his eyes and picked up with a somewhat flat expression and tone to match. "What'd he do now?"

 _"Dean it's me,"_ Michael's voice came across the line and he sounded a little weirded out,  _"I was just wondering, is Jet there?"_

"No, he'd be at work. Why? What's up?"

_"Well it's kind of weird... I thought I saw him appear out of thin air. I feel kinda bad because he said not to tell anyone but it's just so weird... Do you think he's an alien or something? Jet can't do stuff like that for real, I bet it's aliens."_

"Michael you watch too many movies, Jet's not an alien." Dean cringed a bit because he'd thought the same thing, maybe there had been too many sci fi movie nights. "But I saw someone do the same thing, do you know where he went?"

_"Well he kept on down the sidewalk, I don't know where he went after that. But you saw one too? Dean come on! Aliens! Or some kind of shape shifter! Is the real Jet alive? Is he okay? Can you call him?"_

"Jet's fine, buddy. He's a tough dude, can take care of himself. There's no need to worry about these people coming out nowhere, they're nice guys and they aren't staying very long." Dean actually believed what he was saying despite everything happening appearing to be crazier than anything else he'd done in the last few years. "Just some save the world stuff."

_"Whoa. Awesome. So the Jet I saw was like a superhero?"_

"The Jet you see on a regular basis is a superhero, c'mon!" Dean protested with a chuckle, "But the one you saw is special in a different way I suppose. If you see him again let me know immediately, okay?"

_"Sure thing, can I go look for-"_

"No, stay in class." Dean hung up before he could get the whining portion of that conversation. "Friggin' kids." He looked at the dimension travellers and waved his phone a little, "That was Michael, he saw your Jet near his school so we should head over there, guy couldn't have gotten far."

"Jet's pretty resourceful," Priest Dean made a screwed up face and looked over at Sam who only nodded in agreement, "If he wanted to he could be twenty miles out of town by now."

"Well let's hope he saw no reason to do that." The other Cas chuckled and started toward the Impala, "C'mon, let's get over there and start looking."

"How are we all going to fit in that?" Both Sam's grumpily asked at the same time, they exchanged a quick look but didn't address it.

"It seats 6," Dean answered with a laugh as he walked to the car, it didn't matter which one because they both said it and they both believed it. Just in that scenario only one of them was allowed to drive.

"We're all full grown men, Dean." The regular life Sam grumbled as he hopped into the front after his Cas, the front seat taken up by one dimension occupants, the back seat taken up by dimension travellers. In both scenarios Castiel ended up in the middle. Neither of them really complained though, stuck between two members of his family and a little squished but not to the point of it hurting.

It was a cramped ride to the school.

* * *

Michael hung up the phone and made a face, if this was save the world big he couldn't just stay in school. So, like in every hero movie he'd ever seen, he didn't listen to the direct order and ran out the door. That other Jet had wandered off down the street, which would lead him to a number of places, in Michael's head the more important one would have been the mall. Of course he didn't know at that moment that there was no way Jet would know where the mall was, but Michael went there on a hunch all the same.

He reached the mall in no time, of course the wheels in his shoes helped him out quite a bit. Michael's body wasn't always in the best shape, he was weaker than other kids his age and hadn't developed as much as he should have while in the most influential stages of his life. Starvation was a hell of growth stunter.

There were a few other teenagers running about, not many though because it was still first thing in the morning and people were supposed to be in class. There were older people, adults with no jobs or jobs that started later in the day, but so far he couldn't see Jet. Michael adjusted his bag on his back and started really looking, he knew Jet's voice and he knew the way Jet looked so it couldn't be all that hard to spot him, right? Not right, Michael scowered the stretch of the mall with no luck whatsoever. It was starting to look like maybe he'd picked the wrong place, and while he spent more time looking the further away Jet could get. Michael sighed heavily and slumped on a bench, running his hand down his face in frustration. "Where are you, Jet!?" He shouted without much else coming to mind.

And the most amazing thing happened, he got a reply. "Turn around."

Michael perked up and twisted around to see a half smirking man and a familiar toddler holding hands. "Jet! Holy shit you're here!"

"Watch your mouth around Vince, man." Jet warned, raising an eyebrow disapprovingly. "And what're you doing? Isn't school on right now?" Jet was feeling more and more like a scolding parenting every passing second. First the little kid, then the teenager, god his life was a running soap opera of comedy.

"Sort of, Dean and the others are looking for you and asked that I come out to find you first, figured it'd be easier that way since I was closer and all." Michael was obviously shifting the truth and Jet was no stranger to it.

"Cool, well regardless of how much you're probably lying right now let's go, I have to get this little nutbar cleaned up. Call Dean up and let him know you found me." Jet continued on toward the rest rooms with Vincent in tow, he wasn't sure which Dean was looking for which Jet but he figured it was as good a place to start as any. Hell if he'd known this Michael knew Dean he would have stuck with him from the get go.  _'But then you never would have found Vincent...'_  He furrowed his brow and gave the boy's hand a light squeeze, _'It's better this way.'_

Michael was on the phone hesitantly, not wanting to call back after being told to stay in class but what could he do? He found the Jet copy, it was important, Dean and Cas couldn't scold him for that.

Jet picked Vincent up and put him on the bathroom counter, "Stay put, tin man." he smiled a little and went to get some paper towels. He ran them under warm water and lathered some soap in there before he started gently rubbing the food mess from the toddler's face. "So can you tell me how old you are, Vincent?" He asked teasingly, knowing that this kind of crap worked on kids, they had no idea that  _you_  didn't know.

"Three!" Vincent chimed happily, so much more cheer in him now that he'd been fed.

"How old am I?"

"Uhm..." He paused and put his finger to his lips as he thought again, it was the cutest concentration face Jet had ever seen in his life. "Very."

Jet snorted, "That's not a number!"

Vincent laughed instead of really giving him an answer, and Jet didn't care.

Michael waited for the phone to click and when it did he automatically put on an innocent face that Jet recognized through the mirror, it was something all guilty teenagers did when they were about to get caught. "Hey Dean-"

_"You aren't in school, are you?"_

The reply was immediate and interrupting and very deflating for Michael. "No, I went to find him and guess what?"

 _"You got lost?"_  Dean teased somewhat sarcastically.

"No, I found him. And guess who he had? Yeah that's right, he found  _Vincent._  You're welcome."

The other line was quiet for a second and he could hear Dean telling Sam, Dean came back to the phone soon after,  _"How is Vincent? Is he okay?"_

"He's ecstatic, thinks this Jet is his dad and everything." Michael chuckled as he watched Jet scrub the three-year old's shirt with little success.

"How the hell do people do this!?" Jet snapped in frustration, scared for a second that he might've frightened Vincent but the boy only laughed harder at him. "Glad at least  _you're_ enjoying this, you twerp." He smirked and continued to try and least make the kid look like a minor hobo instead of full-fledged.

_"Thank god... Where are you guys?"_

"The mall bathrooms at the moment."

 _"Stay at the mall, we'll be right there to get you."_  Dean hung up again, he had a bad habit of not saying goodbye sometimes. Michael figured it was a learned thing from Cas.

"Stay put are the orders this time." he put the phone in his pocket and looked at Jet with a large grin as Vincent repeated hit the soap button.

Jet stared at the growing pile of soap and sighed, "You are a natural born mess maker, aren't you? C'mere Tintin, let's get out of here." He hefted the boy off the counter and Vincent whined vehemently.

"Daaaaddddyyyyy! I'm all wet!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Jet made a face at him and looked over at the air dryers, "Here let's do this then." he held Vincent under one and the boy squealed with joy as the sudden air pressure blasted down on his soaked tummy. Jet didn't think he could smile that much at one person in the span of a few hours but here he was, consistently enjoying this toddler's company. "Feel better?"

Vincent giggled and squirmed which was as much of a warning for Jet as anything, "I got to pee! I gotta pee!" Jet put him down right away and pointed at a toilet.

"Can you go by yourself?"

Vincent tugged on his pant leg insistently and Jet rolled his eyes, "Alright let's go over to this one." he chose the handicapped stall and closed it behind them, not sure he even knew how to teach this kind of thing, let alone help with it.

Michael chuckled, just glad it wasn't him stuck with Vincent duty again. "Good luck in there man, he misses!"

"Not helping, Mikey." Jet called back and Michael made a face.

"Don't call me Mikey."

"Well then stop being a pest."


	55. Eat Your Vegetables: It's What We Need

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 4**

The car full of gorgeous man-twins showed up at the mall and people  _looked_. It was incredible, the idea that three sets of twins would be in the same place like that. Sam, the one missing his son, bolted into the building like a fire had been lit under him. He saw them immediately, a familiar head of shaggy brown hair with a toddler that instantly brought tears to Sam's eyes. "Vincent!" he called as he hurried over and the kid sprung up at the sound of his name.

"Dad!" He hopped off the bench and ran to his real father, Sam dropped to his knees and scooped Vincent into his arms as tightly as he could manage.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Sam was crying and he couldn't stop, he squeezed his eyes shut as he hugged his boy, the past hadn't been repeated but it'd been so close.

Jet stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets again, his smile so sincere but kind of sad too. The kid was with his real parent now, no more need for him to do any of that 'daddy' stuff. Jet looked up when he saw the others trot over, knowing his family immediately – he would've been able to tell even if they had actually changed their clothes once in a while. "Hey guys," he smiled casually and walked over to meet them, he had no idea what was going through Sam's head and he wasn't sure he knew what was going through his. Last time they'd seen one another they were kissing, tongues in each other's mouths and everything. He licked his lips with the memory burning under his skin, Sam's hands on him and the way their mouths moved together. He didn't know when the next one would be.

Jet hadn't expected anything that happened next, Sam came forward to meet him and forcefully grabbed and pulled him in closer. A small, suppressed gasp escaped from his mouth before Sam's lips closed over his, capturing his attention entirely. Sam's hands found their way into his hair, around his shoulders and back, clinging to him and holding him tightly. Jet moaned softly into the pleasantly surprising affection shown him, the warmth pooling back in his core and drifting to every far edge of his limbs and appendages. Even the tips of his toes were tingling. Sam rough handled him a little but Jet didn't complain much more than the light grunts uttered. He was loving Sam's fist in his hair, gripping him and guiding him through their second kiss.

"Sam," he barely managed to breathe the name between the little moments they broke apart and moved back together. The response was a low growl in Sam's throat, his teeth bared just slightly as he nipped and sucked Jet's lower lip into his mouth. Jet felt his cheeks burning red when he realized the mangled and embarrassingly high pitched keening was coming from him, Sam was not playing around, he had their bodies pressed against each other and the subtle but present writhing was not lost on Jet.

Dean was grinning behind his hand, amused and glad to see Sam let go a little bit. Hell, he was pretty happy for Jet too, to see him actually get a little action from the person he liked – even if that person happened to be Dean's younger brother. He glanced over Cas who also had a smile on his face but he was a little more wary of their situation, "We're in a mall, you two. Save it."

Sam sighed into Jet but leaned back all the same, his breathing was a little heavier but not quite as much as Jet's had been. He looked over the other's face, enjoying the pink blush staining his cheeks and the reddish colour of his neck. "You know, this is a good look for you." He whispered, carefully letting his hand drift down to the base of Jet's neck and letting go of his hair, liking the shudder the other male couldn't quite cover up.

Jet was flustered and his body burning from Sam's touch, he swallowed down a breath or two and attempted to will away the redness in his face and down his neck. He wasn't so successful but it was still worth a shot. He had no witty comebacks, his mind a mess of wants, desires, and stupid thoughts so instead of making a total idiot of himself he just smiled. Jet was long out of the teenaged stages of instant arousal from the simplest touch, however he'd gone too long without it to be used to it anymore. There was a slight discomfort pooling lower and lower in his body but he ignored it, nothing was visible just yet so he was safe.

"I suppose we can head to the mainline again." Castiel smirked at the two blushing boys for a second, mostly unaware of the dawning expression of woe on Dean's face.

"Well the other Cas offered for us to stay the night, what do you think? Sleep in a bed?" He wasn't sure how to sell it other than 'sleep with me.'

"We've wasted a lot of time already," Castiel frowned, that old worry returning to him. He saw no need to be that concerned but he also so no reason to take as much time as possible. "We need to get to Futurum, there are so many things that have to be done and…" Cas trailed off when he looked at the others' faces. Sam and Dean were aware of the reasoning being getting rooms, Jet wasn't quite on the same page but he was in the right book – sleeping in a bed meant a room, meaning privacy which all added up to the same needy though; sex.

Cas bit his lip and sighed, "You're all slowing me down." He jested of course, the light chuckle in his tone gave it away. "Fine, we'll sleep over if it's still alright with them."

Dean nodded and waved over at the resident Castiel of that world, "He said yes!"

Cas lit up like a new candle, throwing a fist in the air in triumph. "Fantastic! We'll get you all set up in no time." He beamed at them and leaned toward his Dean to whisper in his ear. They stood together like that until Cas was done saying whatever it was he needed to, his husband grinning from ear to ear once Cas was done. Dean gave a thumb's up and a wink to the group, something the priest version of Castiel had to squint at.

What was the wink about? He looked at his family and the two that seemed most 'innocent' were the Winchesters. "What do you guys know?"

"I'll let you in on it later." Dean grinned at him, "C'mon, let's get this show on the road."

"Oh! Oh oh oh!" Jet lifted his hand and waved it as if he might be in a high school classroom again, finally able to find his voice again. "Can we get some food? I'm starving and it was murder watching Vince eat."

At the mention of food they all felt that familiar rumble in their stomachs. Castiel put his hand over the source of the strange vibrations, sheepishly looking at the others, "That actually sounds like a great idea."

Sam bit his lip and shrugged, "I suppose so."  _'But I'd really rather taste something else right now…'_ He didn't know where these thoughts were coming from, why it was hitting him so hard now, but he didn't care. It was probably because he finally let go, accepted that  _yes_ , he really wanted Jet. And he didn't just want those strong arms for hugs or comfort, he wanted to feel Jet moving with him again, wanted that body against his and a very feral part of Sam wanted to slam it into a wall. Jet had always been the tough guy, his big brother's best friend, some kind of a protector and a bad ass. But Sam wanted to break that down, hear the strength in Jet's voice shudder and fall into a whimper, to feel him writhing and arching from Sam's touch.

He shook his head, the thought of it was starting to make him hot under the collar again. "But we don't have money, anyone feel like asking?"

Dean nodded, "I've got it." He walked over to the celebrating family and tapped the Castiel on his shoulder. "Hey."

Cas looked at him, all ears and attention paid. "Did you want to get going already?"

"Well we're kind of starving and…"

The other Sam lifted Vincent up onto his shoulders and rose to his feet, "They fed Vince, I think we can manage at least that much." He looked over at his counterpart and the Jet perched next to him, it was nice to see them side-by-side in that little awkward way. Sam had been there before, kind of liking the bad boy persona Jet carried but loving that nice guy waiting underneath. It was so hard to approach Jet with that kind of thing, relationships weren't an easy topic with him at first but once he'd gotten in it was easier than anything he'd ever done. The other Sam just had to get past that first barrier and he'd be set. "So food court work for all of you?"

"Sounds like heaven." Dean grinned and motioned for the other guys to follow.

* * *

Fed and happy, the team found themselves dropped off at a hotel –and not just any hotel, the rooms had been stocked up with all kinds of toys and sexual items ahead of time. Castiel had gotten some money from his lawyer-brother Sam to get them ready for that evening, all kinds of lubricants were displayed in a row, dildos, cock rings, collars, whips and a few other minor toys laid out on a table, and of course a box of condoms. As much as Cas wanted to go all out and set up outfits and other such things he knew that first timers probably wouldn't get that far so there wouldn't be much of a point. Regardless he'd set up both rooms similarly, getting Sam's opinion on the one that they'd be putting the other Sam and Jet into. Cas, of course, arranged the hotel room himself for Dean and his counterpart. He had a feeling that if the other Cas was anything like him the room wouldn't make much of a difference, but he couldn't really tell any similarities between them in that sense.

He caught priest Dean before they reached the elevator to disappear to the rooms for the first time, "I don't know if we'll see you again or if you guys are taking off right away so I'd just like to say good luck, and thank you for finding Vincent."

"I didn't find him," Dean smiled and nodded toward Jet, "He did, but I'll pass it on."

Cas winked and started walking away, "Enjoy yourselves!" He called to the others with a wave over his shoulder, trotting out to meet his husband and younger brother.

Sam smirked as the elevator doors closed; he could feel his heart thumping loudly in his chest, the sensation really pumping him up. Dean on the other hand felt nervous, his fingers tingling, hands shaking; arms stiff as boards and back as straight as a military man's posture. Castiel, a guy he'd been crushing on for an amount of time he couldn't even begin to explain with dimensional craziness, might… maybe do it with him. And the act was exciting but it was still nothing compared to the beauty that was his partner, to Cas and intimate ways Dean was about to know him. He was going to feel Cas in ways that hadn't been done in far too long, learn his personal habits and movements and – Dean cleared his throat and looked at Cas nervously. The other priest didn't have much of an idea and though that worried Dean just a little bit, that maybe he couldn't get Cas in the mood, he also knew that the whole point of this wasn't actually to have sex.

If he got the chance to just sleep next to Castiel again he'd be plenty satisfied. Granted not the same way Sam probably would be but whatever, he wasn't thinking about that.

They separated and disappeared into their respective rooms, a short and pleasant wave shared between them. Dean closed the door behind them, his eyes lingering on it and the idea that maybe staying in the hallway for three hours would calm his nerves. Castiel on the other hand was staring wide-eyed at the brilliance of the room. He smiled to himself and walked over to the grand display of dildos and sex toys, his fingers daring to touch the tip of a pink silicone 12-inch dick. "Wow," He breathed softly and Dean had to turn his head to look. The other priest's mouth went dry when he saw Cas lifting the thing up and inspecting it.

"Did you have something to do with this?" Blue eyes shifted his way and Dean shrugged nervously.

"The other you said he'd do it anyway but his intention was for us to… well…"

"Dean Winchester, I have never known you to be shy around your sexual organs." Cas chuckled softly and sighed as he put the object down. Dean wished he could pinpoint how Cas was feeling, maybe those words had been a hint? Castiel sashayed his way to the bed and leaned down to put a hand on it, his backside angled Dean's way, the edges of the coat outlining him vaguely but still elegant. He was teasing.

' _The other Dean probably made all of the moves…'_  He realized in silent awe, Cas was waiting for him to do something, it's what he was used to. Dean moved across the room and grabbed his partner, twisting him around with one hand on the hip, one hand on the shoulder, pinning Castiel down to the bed.

The stuttered gasp that left Cas' lips was better than music to Dean's ears. His eyes were so big and the pupils had started to spread, growing bigger the longer it took Dean to explain what he was doing. Castiel's imagination was clearly getting away with him and Dean wanted to revel in it for a few more seconds. "Dean," he finally breathed out the name like it'd been caught in his chest for far too long. There were tears in his eyes, brimming and starting to slide down his face.

Dean's 'I'm too sexy' persona dropped the moment he saw them, he let Cas go and quickly moved to caress his partner's cheek. "I'm… I'm sorry Cas, I got carried awa-"

He was cut off when the other priest lurched forward and caught his lips; Dean reciprocated and leaned into the moment, his breathing haggard with the release of his anxieties. "Cas…."

"I'm ready." Castiel whispered so sweetly that Dean thought maybe it was another person sitting across from him. Their faces were still close enough that Dean could feel each little motion of Cas' lips, brushing past his own with each word uttered. "Let me get cleaned up first, okay?"

"You got it," Dean smiled and let Castiel rise, hurrying off to the bathroom. His heart started to pound relentlessly, he really was going to make love to Castiel. Finally Cas was going to be all his, no other man's, no other Dean's, just  _his_. "God, I love him." He sighed as he dropped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling above him, just waiting now. _'Maybe I should get ready too…'_  He shrugged and hopped up, removing his clothes and grabbed all the obviously necessary things for their first time. Lube and condoms on the bedside table, Dean found a good spot to lie down in the sheets, perched and prepared to go.

* * *


	56. Eat Your Vegetables: Destiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets explicit with the sex scenes, please note the warning.

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 5**

Castiel took a deep breath after washing himself off, his clothes discarded on the floor and his limbs feeling so strange without something covering them. Dean was waiting for him in the next room, naked, hot and getting warmer with each passing second. Cas' heart skipped excitedly, part of him was nervous that maybe he'd forgotten the right things, how to move properly, what Dean liked, or if maybe this Dean even liked the same things. He shook his head, what did that matter? It wasn't like he and his partner had done it before, no other couples knew everything or anything at all their first times.

He ran his hand down his chest, hoping maybe it'd slow the beating, of course it didn't work that way but he was still hopeful. A slow breath before he exited the bathroom didn't serve him either, but it prepared him for the sight on his bed. Dean had covered himself with the blanket to the point where Castiel could see the upper part of his thighs but nothing in between, just that dangerous, chiseled design that he wanted to thank God for. "Fuck…" Cas muttered slowly as he entered, curses already tracing the most inner parts of his mouth.

Dean looked up and the way the corners of his mouth tugged up had Castiel's skin feeling tingly. He crawled into the bed, slipping under the covers next to Dean and feeling the urge to touch the creases leading down Dean's hips to what Cas wanted nothing more than to even get a glimpse of. He thought his heart would melt, it all felt so familiar and welcoming, his eyes burned with the threat of tears and the core of his body felt like it was about to catch fire. There he was with Dean Winchester, the love of his life all over again. And while he could remember nearly every detail of his first time with his late husband, this was nothing like that time. The way this Dean,  _his_ Dean looked at him was surreal, undying love lingering in that green tinged gaze. He was this Dean's Castiel, the only one Dean had ever had eyes for and probably the only one he ever would.

Cas reached behind Dean's head carefully, his hand finding comfort in the soft hairs as he watched excitement flicker in his partner's face. "You are so lovely," he whispered almost in a daze, he felt so lucky to be where he was, to be with who he was with. "Am I really worth all of this?"

Dean's face scrunched up as he gently touched his hand to Castiel's wrist, "You're worth so much more than all of this," he smiled and shuffled closer, carefully letting their lips touch, pressing forward until their faces could be mistaken for the same one. Dean tilted his head and dipped his jaw, making room for Cas as the dark haired priest wrapped his arms over Dean's shoulders. They fit together so well, mouths moving in synch and bodies starting to slide against the others'. Dean pulled back just enough so that he could speak again, lips still close enough to graze Castiel's each time they moved, "You know I'd give you everything if you needed me to."

"I suppose I do," Cas hummed happily, running his fingers through Dean's hair a few times, "I'm sorry I'm not some crazy sex god."

"I didn't expect you to be, why would you think that?"

Cas closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Dean's, "There have been several alternate versions of me and some of them have… offered themselves to you. I just thought you'd expect me to have the same quality." He would have kept his eyes closed but Dean touched the side of his hand to Castiel's chin and tilted it up, he instinctively looked into Dean's gaze like it was the most natural thing.

"Cas, I don't care what the others like to do, I care about what you want." His words were so sweet and matched his expression to the T. Dean was beautiful, he'd always been; Cas swallowed past a lump in his throat and leaned up for a quick kiss, his lips pulling up into a smile.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" He whispered with a chuckle, his heart starting to catch up to him as he placed his hand over the rigid muscle of Dean's chest and let it drift down, ghosting over the little features and definition he so badly wanted to kiss and feel.

Dean inhaled deeply, an attempt to calm his nerves and stop himself from just getting into the deed without ceremony. Castiel's touch was hauntingly light but it still sent blood rushing out of Dean's brain like an emergency evacuation. "You know, your luck was pretty bad before, I think this is just things evening out." His breathing had started to get a little heavier, a weight added to each huff of air as Cas' hand slid lower, resting just below his belly button.

"Maybe so," Cas smiled and traced little circles on Dean's skin, each one getting wider in a spiraling shape, getting so close and pushing the blanket lower with each pass. He stopped just above the base of Dean's cock and moved his hand away again, loving the light gasps Dean attempted to keep relaxed. Getting too excited too soon was embarrassing, or at least for someone of Dean's sexual prowess. Cas knew that had to be why, some things with Dean's never change – they always had to look cool. "So how did you want to do this tonight?" He asked seductively, his voice low with just enough gravel-overtones to give Dean a good shudder.

Dean didn't answer right away, he held Cas' gaze calmly, looking over the unique features of his partner's face before he licked his lips and gently lifted the knee between Castiel's legs. There was a flicker in those blue eyes, a soft hiccup of air leaving Cas' mouth as Dean repeated the motion with a growing lust in his expression. The air felt thick around them, hot and overly anticipated like they'd already waited too long. "I want to love you, I want to do it right." Dean slowly rocked his hips up, he could feel Castiel's dick against his skin now that he was moving, it was still a little soft but the more he slid them together the harder it got.

"I want you to." Cas sighed, starting to rut against Dean's lifted leg, the warmth of his balls pressing down on Dean's thigh. "I want you." He closed his eyes to try and drown out at least one of his other senses, hoping maybe it'd heighten the sensation of Dean's touch. Rough hands found their way to his hips and gripped them tight, lifting him slightly and letting him ease back down in the same motion. "Dean," He let the elation in his voice flow, pleasure waving over him like a long overdue shower.

Dean moaned softly, wanting to continue the simple action, not wanting to lose that feeling, but he knew he had to do better than that. He sat up a little and urged Castiel over, lying him down on his back Dean took his place overtop of his lover. Dean paused to look at the flushed cheeks and parted lips that greeted his eyes, really take a look because this would be the first time he'd ever seen it. Cas was so pretty, there was rising tension in his body, an increased heart rate, and already a mess of dark hair, all mixed in one little sexy body; Dean didn't know how laws of nature worked but he was certain that Castiel should be illegal.

The moments they shared looking at one another passed so easily they could have lost so much time doing it but Dean didn't want to waste the precious time they'd taken for this. Castiel needed this, needed him and he wasn't about to let that down. Dean slid lower and took a careful hold of Cas' shaft, fingers wrapping around so distinctly, he hadn't ever touched another man before but Dean knew himself and that's what he'd base the experience on. At least for the first while, he had a feeling Cas would let him know what worked.

Dean gave Cas a few gentle strokes, getting a feel for it, adjusting his wrist as he lowered himself to rest between Castiel's legs. The other priest was left pressing his head back into the pillows, hips twitching and held down. Cas stifled a moan as Dean's tongue adventured over the head of his cock, swirling around the tip and curling under the ridge experimentally. "Dean," he whined the name he loved to say, he curled his lips in and pressed them together as another soft sigh pushed its way up to audible levels. It didn't matter if Dean didn't know what he was doing, his 'figuring it out' was more than enough for Cas at that point. "God, I want you so bad." He curved his back and tensed his legs, his hands finding their way through Dean's hair over and over again.

Dean hummed his response as he took as much of Castiel into his mouth as he could, keeping his tongue extended beneath the weight of his dick, slowly massaging the trembling appendage. He hadn't ever had another man in his mouth before, and he really didn't think he'd ever have another man again. Just Castiel, because the sweet, salty taste was making Dean's mouth water all the more. He pulled his head back and rocked it forward again, getting a rhythm going as Cas' fingers pulled at the hairs on the top of his head and let them go again, a little pattern happening.

"Ohhh… ohhh Dean…" Cas gasped softly, his pelvis moving up and down in time with Dean's motion easily, slow and steady in its buildup. The feeling burned in his center, warmth spreading all throughout his body and coiling in his groin like some trap ready to spring. Dean pulled away again, licking his reddened lips as he slid his hand up and down the length of Cas' dick. Castiel rolled his hips forward and moaned a little louder as he fucked himself into Dean's hand, it felt too good to stop and in that moment he just wanted to come. He just wanted a release his body had denied him for ages. But then, he hadn't really had a chance to explore Dean, to see how he ticked and what made him squirm. Cas slowed himself down but Dean seemed to be enjoying the scene, his hand on his own cock really pumping himself good. Cas bit the inside of his cheek, it was so enticing to watch and finish to but he had to stop it. "Ahhh- I-I can't take it much more, wait. Wait." He panted and tried to pull out of Dean's hand, his partner listening after a moment of clarity.

"You okay?" Dean asked, flushed and a little flustered at the sudden pull back.

"Of course," Castiel smiled and gestured for Dean to come closer. He obliged immediately, crawling over top his lover again. They were both hot, heaving messes already but they didn't seem to notice just yet, all that mattered was the only other person in the room than themselves. Dean leaned down and licked into Cas' opening mouth, their tongues dancing together effortlessly, feeling the warmth and moisture of the other's breath as they panted. Castiel had to break it first for a real gulp of air, his chest rising and falling almost in synch with Dean's as he looked into the green depths of his eyes, just taking it in for a moment, "I wanted…" he inhaled heavily, "wanted to know you, too."

Dean nodded and pressed forward for another kiss, letting Cas get a taste of his own dick in Dean's mouth. They parted again when Dean breathed in sharply, Cas' hand gripping his cock and massaging it slowly. His fingers traced the little ridges and prominent veins that textured Dean's shaft, Cas knew that he'd get to feel those very soon in a much more personal way. He couldn't take a whole lot more in terms of foreplay and teasing, and judging by how hard Dean was, and the glistening pre cum on his tip, his partner couldn't either. "I have an idea," Cas breathed out, getting up and this time took his turn to get Dean to lie down again. He didn't explain with words, instead he handed Dean the bottle of lube and crawled over him the opposite way. Cas felt his cheeks burning with some embarrassment, he wasn't sure how Dean would react to suddenly having Cas' ass in his face but that anxiety didn't last too long.

Dean caught the hint immediately, he yanked Castiel's hips backward, closer, drawing out a shocked yelp from Cas. Dean parted Cas' cheeks gently with his thumbs, not waiting to see what his lover had in mind on the other end of their 69. Dean pressed his face forward, tongue eagerly dipping in past Castiel's rim, stretching him just a bit.

"Oh  _fuck_!" Castiel's voice was pinched as he slurred out expletives, his hands barely worked as he tried to jerk Dean's dick. He rutted back with the encouragement of Dean's grip, fingers pressing hard into his hips. "Ohhhh fuck, oh fuck!" He cried out a little louder the more Dean's tongue wriggled and slipped around in circles.

Dean's hands let go and went for the lube he'd dropped on the mattress beside him. The cap flicked open and he poured a greedy amount onto his fingers, spreading it between the main three. He leaned back again with a smile, licking his lips with a heated breath, "You like that, baby?"

"Yes. Yes I like it." Cas answered mindlessly, his body feeling like it was about to burn itself to the ground and implode at the same time. "I want it.  _I want it_." He whimpered and bent forward, taking Dean into his mouth as he tried to spread his legs a little wider.

"Fuck…" Dean grunted with a gasp and pushed his index into Cas' hole, fucking it in and out right away. Castiel gargled a cry onto his dick, bucking backward again, trying to fuck himself with a single finger as his tongue swiveled around the head. Dean meant to stretch Cas a little further before he inserted a second finger but his partner was loosening up so easily for him, Cas  _really_  wanted it. "Fuck, you want this so bad." Dean growled out, pushing a second finger and carefully working Cas open further.

Castiel had to stop what he was doing, almost choking himself when he jerked down with the sudden crash of pleasure taking over him. Saliva dripped from his open mouth as he hovered over Dean's cock, gasping, wheezing and rocking with Dean's hand. " _Dean!_ " He sobbed with a hiccupped breath, "I c-can't wait! Please! Please just-"

Dean could so easily lift Castiel up and he did, spinning them around to pin his lover to the bed. "You need it?" He asked sweetly, unwrapping the condom from the bedside table.

Cas nodded, a strained 'uh huh' stuttering up from his throat. "Baby… please…" he pressed his shoulders down into the mattress, his hips slowly lifting and dropping back down again repeatedly. Dean coated the condom with lube despite it already having some, he didn't want to hurt Cas, even if he was opened a little it didn't mean he was opened far enough. It'd been a long time since Cas had done this, he might as well be a virgin again for as tight as he was going to be.

The blunt head of Dean's pushed in past the initial ring of muscle clenching down, it was slow going and Cas was writhing already. "Just breathe," Dean whispered soothingly, his hand running down Castiel's heaving chest. "Relax, Cas."

Though he felt like stopping and breathing would be the end of him, Cas listened. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he tried to breathe a little slower. It was so hard to try and calm down and really he didn't want to, he wanted to go as high as possible and crash back down. To feel that ecstasy again, but Dean wasn't wrong. He was pushing himself, getting more frantic than euphoric. Cas closed his eyes as Dean dipped lower to kiss him, slowly pushing forward until he was seated deep inside. "It kind of hurts." Cas whispered, opening his eyes again and looking at Dean earnestly.

"I know," Dean kissed him again, so gentle and kind. "Just try to get used to it, okay?" He rolled his hips forward slowly, letting the pressure ease inside of Castiel.

It felt so good, despite the pain. Cas' tolerance for pain was high, his healing levels were higher, it only took a moment before he was starting to move back, his thighs pressing against Dean's sides before falling open again. "I'm good," he exhaled, his hands coming up and grabbing hold of Dean's shoulders, one sliding back to the nape of Dean's neck.

Those words were all Dean needed, he was so hot now, just sitting in that heated, pressurized hole had his cock dripping from the end. Dean's hips snapped forward with some precision and Castiel nearly lost it right there. "Oh god, fuck!" He shouted, his hand squeezed Dean's shoulder before dropping down to his own cock, impatiently jerking it and attempting to get it in time with Dean's thrusts.

Dean could feel sweat beading on his back as he pounded into his lover, his eyes open to catch every little expression Castiel made, to see the way his mouth fell open and stayed that way. How his brow creased and scrunched down in concentration then shot up with the tenderest look of bliss Dean had ever seen. "You're beautiful," he gasped, his voice starting to sound strung out and wrecked. "Fuck, Cas, you're so beautiful."

"Dean-" Cas arched up, he was wound tighter and tighter with each shocking strike to his prostate. It was sweetly painful, the way Dean's strength really could split him in half but never did, Dean knew what he was doing, exactly how much he could push forward. Castiel's fingers bit into the skin on Dean's neck, just a little. His muscles tensed and jerked, the heat in his lower body starting to flare up and send his mind into spirals. "Dean I'm-I'm-ah! Ahh _hhh!_ " His words dissipated into a drawn out cry as he streaked them both white, his eyes squeezed shut and head pushed back as hard as he could. His body trembled and shook, the kinds of sounds that came from him couldn't have been human. Dean dipped an arm under Cas and held him close as the pleasure started to peak, his thrusts a little less precise and his mind foggy with want.

"Cas, fuck babe I'm gonna come, you're so fucking tight, baby." Dean's breathing hitched and his body stuttered before he ground his hips forward, just a bit deeper as Cas' muscles squeezed him. He came with a soundless breath, hunching forward and nearly dropping on top of Castiel.

They panted quietly together, wriggling around in the bed until they were comfortable and ready for bed, condom discarded in the garbage can nearby. Cas nuzzled his face into Dean's chest and sighed happily, his eyes refusing to open. "Thank you," he whispered, Dean's arms tightly wrapped around him.

"No need to thank me for that," Dean sighed and ran his fingers through his partner's hair.

"I love you, Dean." Castiel held a little tighter, "Please… don't leave me."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut at the awful ache in his chest from those words, "I love you too, Cas." He tucked his baby in closer to him, "I'll never let you go."


	57. Eat Your Vegetables: Jam

**Eat Your Vegetables World: Part 6**

Sam opened the door to their room, his heart skipping in excitement and nervous energy. He didn't glance back at Jet's face when the room came into his view but he heard the sound of a heavier breath taken. The toys were a little much for him, at least for the first time with Jet, maybe next time if they had the opportunity. He walked into the suite and shed his shirts until he had just one left, he knew where Jet was standing, the older male indefinitely watching the unceremonious strip. Sam paused with his fingers hooked into the base of the thin t-shirt draped over warm, anxious skin; Jet hadn't moved yet, not much further than the entrance. He glanced over at his roommate in time to see Jet's eyes snapping back up to meet his. Sam's lips curled in a smile when Jet passed him by in a silent stride, eyes fixed elsewhere and unable to really look at him. He was a little surprised to see Jet flustered like that, in the time he'd known the other man Jet had always been the one to pursue, to go for what he wanted without hesitation. But now? Now Jet avoided his gaze, fidgeted, and even blushed. Sam knew why though, Jet had always been a sweetheart under the crass exterior and liking someone, caring about someone as much as Sam knew Jet did, was call for letting that inner part of him show. It was cute, Sam would admit that much, but Jet being 'cute' wasn't the reason Sam wanted to slam him into a wall.

"Pretty nice of them to put us up for the night," He broke the silence that had settled and smiled a bit further when he saw the slight jolt in Jet's shoulders.  _'He's really anticipating this, looks like he's thinking too much.'_  Sam thought mildly, wandering a bit closer to see if he could catch any ideas as to what Jet was thinking by the look on his face.

"Uh…" Jet's usual smooth talking wasn't working for him, a loss for words was his first problem and evidently he struggled to get past it. "Yeah, it was." He'd meandered to the dresser where everything had been set up, his hands were at his sides but his eyes trailed over the display very specifically. It was clear what was going on, and it wasn't just that the other world people were trying to set them up;  _Sam_  was trying to set them up. He wasn't quietly thinking anymore, he wasn't  _considering_  being with Jet anymore, it was about to be a reality. The thought process was one thing but actually doing it, really becoming what Jet had been slowly pushing for, it was an entirely different thing.

That moment, whatever was about to transpire between them would change things and Jet knew that. His mind lingered on the first kiss, how much he'd wanted it and how little his mind cared for anything else. That had already changed things, hadn't it? Sam's worried thoughts after their first dance together, how he'd run away because he wasn't sure – how much time had even passed since then? Jet couldn't even tell anymore, jumping dimensions like they were doing really messed with his sense of timing.  _'I love you.'_  The words burned his tongue but didn't escape, should he say it? He knew where everything was going and where they'd be in less than ten minutes, was it appropriate to say that first? He hadn't ever been in love with someone like that, the wash of emotions and thoughts were starting to really weigh his mind down. He'd never been like that before, letting his mind take over and wander, he always just did things, no thought just  _do_. But that didn't feel right with Sam, Sam required more thought, more careful planning because Jet was terrified of screwing that up. He didn't care if anything else fell apart but if he'd lose the Winchesters, Sam or Dean, he'd never forgive himself – especially not if it were his fault.

"Jet," Sam's arms wrapped around his middle, his hands were warm and his voice like silk, it melted a few of the worries away from his mind almost immediately, "You're thinking about this too much." Sam whispered close to his ear, the heat of his breath tickling skin and running a shiver down Jet's back. He closed his eyes and hummed in response, yeah he was thinking too much.

Sam smiled and leaned in closer, pressing his lips to the heated flesh of Jet's neck, he could feel the slight muscle spasm in the other's body as soon he'd connected. "You know, you've been different." He continued to speak in a low, hushed tone as he trailed sweet little kisses along Jet's neck and down his shoulder. Standing with Jet's back to his stomach was a little exhilarating for Sam; he could really feel the power in his position, how it'd be so easy to just bend Jet down.

"Good or bad different?" Jet sighed out the question with a small amount of strain leaked in, slowly he was allowing his mind to let go, stop the thoughts and just  _do_  like he always did.

"Haven't decided, but you're easier to hold down now," Sam's tone was dangerous; an intention hiding in his words that Jet couldn't quite place. "I think I like it." The dirty sense in his words was subtle but it was enough to get a deeper shade of pink in Jet's cheeks, Sam's intentions becoming more and more obvious to him as those wandering hands drifted to Jet's belt-line. He tilted his head back and rested it against Sam's shoulder, his breathing getting heavier as the seconds passed.

"Sam..." He gasped and felt his cheeks burn hotter at the very quiet squeak that escaped with it, Sam's fingers had slipped below his clothing, tracing the creases of his hips down into more sensitive space. Jet squirmed as his back arched just enough to curve his spine and push his pelvis forward, he was starting to put more weight on Sam the further down those curious, wandering fingers crept. "Haaah-" the sound that came out of him cut itself short when Sam stopped playing around, his hand pushed lower, deeper into a personal territory he'd never ventured before that moment. He grasped the hot, trembling mass that only dragged further embarrassing noises from Jet's throat, or at the very least Jet would describe them that way. Sam loved it, hearing the older man moan for him, gasping for air and barely able to speak a single word coiled a warmth in his belly that spread all throughout his body.

A shock of excitement shot through Sam in that moment, he had Jet's dick in his hand, swelling and heavy and bringing out every submissive sound Jet had ever made in his life. He smiled and closed his eyes, massaging the stiffening flesh and listening to a symphony of heavy breathing and soft moans. It didn't last though, Jet's personality wouldn't let it slip by like that, he wasn't the type to just lie back and take it and more than anything Sam would have bet money that Jet expected to be the one on top. Of course Sam had his own ideas.

Jet pulled away and took a few steps to get a bit of distance, Sam knew he would so it didn't bother him, instead he smiled and watched as Jet turned back to face him. The blush hadn't left his cheeks but there was a deadly focus in his eyes and it was trained on Sam. Jet curled his bottom lip in just a little, enough to pinch part of the skin with his teeth as his eyes trailed over Sam's body another time. "You never fail to surprise me, you know that? I don't think I was paying attention when you got so much bigger…"

"Well you'd better pay attention now," Sam stalked across the room to Jet's ready arms, they collided with an explosive kiss, tongues not hesitating to claim dominance over the other's mouth, exploring and licking at every little crevice they could. Sam reached around behind Jet again, one hand finding its way into the soft brown hair he'd come to enjoy touching, the other fumbling over the button on those damned jeans. Granted Jet looked fantastic in them, but Sam would still much rather see him without. Jet didn't waste much time either, he was a little more skilled at undoing someone's pants with one hand than Sam was but it didn't matter a whole lot because their outer clothing wound up discarded in one corner or another.

Sam had pushed Jet back, back, back until his knees hit the edge of the bed and they fell onto it. Sam made sure to know where he was positioned in the landing, both of his legs tucked a bit closer together, taking advantage of the slight bow in Jet's legs and separating his thighs with his own. But that didn't quite come into play just yet, Sam was moreover enjoying the view from his perch over top the other man. Jet had always been fit, strong, and a great body to go along with it but Sam hadn't ever stopped to appreciate just how handsome his longtime friend was. He let his hands touch the tanned skin beneath him, heart racing as the moment really came to light for him. This was really happening, Jet was really here with him and they were… they were something, weren't they?

"Jet…" Sam heard himself speak, it didn't sound as confident as he'd felt just a few seconds before.

But somehow Jet knew, he was smiling in that way he did, charming with little hints to a devious mind but mostly it was just kind. At least it was for Sam. "So can I call you my boyfriend now?" He asked and it sounded like the sweetest thing to Sam's ears, he felt his heart flutter for a second but the blood rushing in his body and testosterone flooding his brain wouldn't let that sink in.

"Definitely, but first I think we have a little unfinished business." He whispered roughly, palming again at the strained lump in Jet's boxer-briefs – they were black and damn did Jet look good in them. Jet moaned louder that time, his head tilting back into the sheets he hardly registered were there. Sam leaned down to kiss up Jet's neck, loving the way the other brunet had closed his eyes, mouth open and already panting for him. He smiled and kissed his cheek where skin felt like fire, along a strong jaw until his lips reached Jet's ear, grazing it so gently. He kissed it too, let his breath send shivers and create bumps on Jet's flesh before he hissed into it; "You're my bitch tonight." Sam emphasized his point by squeezing Jet's cock out of his underwear, letting the fabric and elastic drag over his head abrasively.

Jet grunted softly, the crease in his brow deepening for a second as he flinched and shuddered. Sam expected a bit of a lash back, a fight that he would lose if Jet was serious, but there wasn't one. Instead brown eyes opened and looked at him expectantly,  _eager_  to see what he had planned. It was maddening to see the amount of control Jet still held despite himself, still holding tight and not letting go, not letting Sam in, not quite. Sam captured Jet's lips in another searing kiss, devouring his mouth, hungry for a stronger taste of the other man, to see if maybe he could see how far Jet's complexities went, how deep his character was.

He worked his hand around the base of Jet's cock, finding that it hadn't been fully erect until then because it felt thicker,  _harder_. It was having the same effect on him, he'd been skillfully ignoring the strain on his own boxers, each scratch of fabric a more uncomfortable feeling than the last. He wanted to feel skin, friction, he wanted a hot, wet, deep space to slide into. Sam swallowed around the air he was trying to gulp down, his own breathing had gotten heavier and he hadn't noticed, Jet could be very distracting. "You know I'm going to fuck you, right?" He whispered with a harsher squeeze thrown in as he pumped his partner's dick. "Right into the mattress."

Jet's jaw was tense as he was evidently trying to hold back any noise he'd naturally make. His hips jerked up on their own, awkward and needy as a similar groan managed past his best efforts. "Fuck…" He cursed breathily, his back already arching. He wasn't some teenager, it wasn't that easy to turn him on like that, to push him to an edge so fast. But there he was, full grown and bucking into the air like a mindless sex doll.

"Just because you're trying to be quiet," Sam let go of Jet's cock, leaving it there and letting him squirm and writhe for something more, "I'm going to make you scream, Jet." Sam grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into another kiss, it wasn't too hard or mean but it did the trick; he could feel Jet's thighs on either side of him shake just a little, just in the slightest, cutest way.

"Fuck," Jet breathed again, "Do it. Fucking  _do it._ " He thrust up again, hoping for some friction, to graze part of Sam that he'd left somewhat unguarded, but Sam moved so Jet barely got any relief from the motion. He let out a strangled sound and tried again, this time Sam's hand caught his hip and held him still.

"Ah, ah, ah, not so soon." Sam smiled and reached down again, teasingly drifting past the source of Jet's frustration, fingers very gently tracing over his aching erection to cup and fondle the soft flesh just a little lower. Sam couldn't have been happier with the result as Jet whimpered and nearly fell apart right there, not in any real control over his own hips anymore. Sam was glad to see it, though it was slow, Jet was relaxing enough around him this way, letting go just a little, enough to let Sam in.

"C'mon," Jet groaned in his annoyance, trying to regain some dignity though it hardly seemed important anymore. "Sam, just-"

"Just what?" Sam raised an eyebrow as his fingers traced further back, following the surprisingly smooth skin behind Jet's junk. It was nice, he noted to himself as he repeated the motion a few times, Jet really did take care of himself down there – like most should of course, but Sam never saw Jet as the 'personal hygiene' type.

Another shuddered whimper and a soft whine were Sam's replies for the action, Jet's abdomen tightened and flexed as he squirmed, moving closer to the touch and trying to wriggle in a way to get Sam's hand where he really wanted it. Sam smiled and let his fingers find the tight ring he was looking for, dipping the tip of his index in for a very brief second before moving on to just wander up to give Jet's ass a squeeze. It wasn't appreciated if Jet's grunt was anything to go by. The disheveled male whined again, his hand going for his own dick now, patience and need colliding and fighting over his actions. Sam caught Jet's wrist and pinned it down forcefully, "Don't touch it." He demanded, his tone insistent but not rude and Jet listened, he squeaked out a desperate and disapproving noise but he listened. "So what were you going to say before? 'Sam, just'?" He trailed off at the end, taking his hand down to very gently wrap around Jet's cock again.

"Ffff-uck!" Jet arched into the touch, it was so light and barely there but it was there all the same and he couldn't help himself. He didn't so much care what he looked like, not in front of Sam, he'd let Sam see him any way the other wanted to see him. And if Sam wanted to see him wrecked and begging then he'd let himself fall that way, allow the wall to come down and open up vulnerabilities he didn't know he even had. The teasing was getting the better of him anyway; it was a relief to let it out, to say it, to tell Sam. "Please! Please just- just..." His own breathing was getting in the way, words caught in sighs and quiet mewling.

Sam smiled and slowly pushed his hips forward, that little thrusting motion just adding to the tension he was building in Jet. "Just…?"

" _Fuck me._ " He blurted out, eyes squeezed shut and head tilted back, cheeks still as rosy as they'd been at the start.

Sam thought maybe  _that_  was the sweetest thing he'd heard. He gave a few firm, strong strokes to Jet's dick, jerking him for a little relief and a sort of apology for the foreplay. "Of course I will, get comfortable." He leaned forward and held Jet still in a kiss for what was probably the third time that night, he loved feeling the harsh and needy rushes of air against his skin as Jet struggled to breathe normally. "You know," Sam smiled a bit wider as he moved away from the bed to the display, finding a condom and lube he liked, "you've always been hot but I don't think you've ever been hotter than right now."

"No thanks to you," Jet grumbled as he moved more onto the bed than he had been, legs no longer dangling off the edge. "You're a fucking tease." He could feel his face burning as he slipped his underwear off, dropping it wherever because he really honestly didn't care. His skin was flushed, he could see it as he looked down at his chest, he was surprised to see the blush had reached that far.

"Yeah but how else am I supposed to break you open?" Sam grinned back at the flustered face of his boyfriend, "You're just really cute this way, I like it."

Jet hummed softly to himself and watched Sam remove his own under garments as well. He couldn't look away, the curve of light skin drawing his eyes from the strength of Sam's back down to the swell of his ass. "You're beautiful," he muttered, feeling like the luckiest man on the planet. His heart was racing and his hands felt shaky but that was all par for the course. Sam did that to him on a regular basis, this wasn't anything new, it was just amplified.

Sam felt the heat under his skin, rising and blazing throughout him like a fire. He turned and strolled back to the bed, sinking down onto it and leaning over Jet to steal another kiss. They stayed together that way for a good minute, just moving lips and tongues until Sam cupped Jet's junk again, fiddling with the malleable organ and swallowing down his partner's moans like candy. He leaned back and placed the bottle of lube down on the bed beside him, freeing up his good hand to brush it through the sweat-damp locks over Jet's forehead, "And you're a hot mess." He murmured softly, an air of sweetness about him as his eyes drifted lower to look at the leaking pre-cum already slipping around the curve of the head. Sam debated on how he wanted to do this for a moment before he lifted up again and started pushing Jet over, "Face down."

The order was clear and sent a noticeable twitch throughout Jet's lower body, he swallowed thickly and did as he was told, not without some forceful help of course. "Sam," he sighed into the pillow, his breath hitching as Sam's hands gripped his hips and pulled them up, pushing his face further into the soft surface below him. "Honestly I didn't see this coming," he laughed, but Sam heard something in it; Jet was nervous.

His plans to slam Jet into a wall might have had to take a backseat for their first time; the rough-and-tumble man he'd grown up with was a bigger sweetheart than he knew. Sensitive wasn't a word he'd normally use describing Jet, then again Sam figured that maybe after relabeling them as boyfriends he'd have to adjust hid description. "Are you scared?" Sam asked gently, his grip loosening and touch becoming tender and soft.

"No," Jet replied simply and evenly. He pushed himself up and sat back on his knees to look at Sam properly, his cheeks flushed so bright that Sam was a little distracted. "I've never been in this position, not sure what I'm doing, that's all."

Sam grinned and pulled Jet down, tasting his mouth again, curling his fingers in the already messy hair of the other, "I haven't either," he whispered, not giving their faces any real space to speak without their lips reconnecting a little. "Let's figure it out together, okay?"

"Yeah," Jet smiled and returned the kiss quietly, "But don't stop what you're doing."

"What I'm….?"

"You told me you'd fuck me into the mattress, right? Well…" He trailed off and Sam felt his chest swelling with pride. He didn't wait for another cue; Sam grabbed Jet's shoulders and forced him down again, bending him over the way he'd wanted to.

"You're definitely gonna get it," He muttered coyly, grabbing for the bottle again. "But I'm going to make it good, don't you worry."

Jet tucked his head down and smiled wide, eyes closed as he waited with anticipation, he could hear the click of the cap on the bottle, the smooth sound of a fluid slicking up skin. His heart leapt to his throat, he held his breath and winced at the ache between his legs.

"What's the magic word?"

"Please."

The light pressure tingled at first, Jet continued to hold his breath until he felt Sam's finger curl inside him. He gasped and arched low to give Sam better access, his arms tensed as he pushed his hips backward instinctively, only to drag out another low moan from his throat. It was a shock to his system, fingers shouldn't be able to do that to him and yet there he was, dripping like a puberty slave and bucking backward onto the simplest of intrusions. Again, and again he pushed back even though it hurt, not very much but it burned, and with that burn he couldn't tell the difference between good pain and bad pain.

Sam didn't mind the enthusiasm; it was a hell of a boost for his ego to be sure. Jet was panting and begging under his breath, Sam didn't think he even knew what he was saying anymore, or that he was speaking at all. "You like this?" His voice was low and a little teasing.

Jet moaned again, it dragged out and went up in pitch as Sam started to push a second finger in. "Yes! Fuck!" He shouted incoherently into the pillow, bucking back harder. Sam caught his hips and held him still again, as best he could.

"Slow down, you'll hurt yourself."

He whined, a light sob slipping into the mixture of muffled sounds he made, but he listened again and tried to stop himself from reacting so strongly. "I want it." Jet snarled but it was caught up in the midst of a whimper pinching his vocal chords.

Sam felt like he could stay like that forever, listening to a soundtrack of Jet's sex sounds. Of course the ache in his loins was getting to be much too harsh to ignore any further and Jet's noises weren't helping. "Shhh," he hushed him soothingly, rubbing smooth circles on Jet's sides and lower back, lulling him back down so the shock of slamming his fingers in deeper would be that much better. Jet cried out vocally this time, nothing stifled or held back. "It's coming yet, gotta get you ready." Sam explained, feeling his blood rushing too fast for its own good. He loved teasing Jet but he was getting to be more impatient than his boyfriend now.

"I'm ready! I'm ready just do it!" Jet's voice was a roller coaster of emotional tones; he pushed back again even though he was told not to. "I'm ready." He repeated himself, finding the one phrase to latch onto as Sam slowly introduced a third finger, adding more lube and really scissoring to open Jet up. Last thing he wanted to do was cause severe pain, especially considering their line of 'work' at that time.

Sam ignored Jet's pleas until he was certain they were good to go, Jet's ass loose enough it wouldn't hurt, or at least not much more than a dull ache. He pulled his fingers free and grabbed the condom, taking a second to really jerk himself up to standard, or at least that's what he told himself. Sam was already pretty hot and heavy, just listening to Jet and barely touching him was too much of a turn on.

Jet gulped air down as he grew accustomed to being untouched again, nothing inside him for the next few seconds. He never thought he'd be okay with this, bending over for someone else and just waiting to take it, but he actually really couldn't wait for more. It was a surprise but a nice one; he didn't know he could love sex this much before he'd even really gotten a chance to touch Sam. That, of course, he would get to do later but right now Sam was getting plenty of enjoyment and stimulation out of torturing him. "Sa-" About to speak and cut off by his own outcry, Jet pushed down into the bed as the full length and thickness of Sam's cock pressed into him. And after all of that lead up, all of Sam's preparation to open him up still wasn't quite enough, Jet ground his teeth together as his body forced itself to stretch open for Sam, pulling and burning. "Fuck…  _fuck Sam!_ "

Sam finally exhaled the air he'd been holding, pleasure taking the place of the knots he'd been feeling, pulsing through his body and reaching the tips of his head and toes. He rolled his hips forward just to feel it, the heat and pressure all around his dick and making him want to just let go right there. Of course, as he pulled back slightly, the wet sound of him sliding out sent shivers down his spine; he wanted to hear it again. So he pushed back in, pulled out and pushed in, and loved the way that wet squelching mixed with what he could only describe as lower pitched squealing coming from just slightly ahead of him. "I didn't know you could make these sounds," he muttered huskily, snapping his hips forward to get a new reaction.

Jet shouted again, his back moving, muscles shifting as he struggled to find the rhythm Sam had going. He didn't really have words to reply with, his mind was a blur of arousal and need, his mouth hung open to make room for air and random noises he didn't even care to try and identify anymore.

Loosened up and used to the feeling now, Sam gripped Jet's hips, the strong and firm muscle trembling under his hands, and pulled Jet backward into his next thrust. He groaned as another shock of pleasure shot through him, that's how he wanted to do it. Sam adjusted his stance behind Jet and really started to give it to him, slamming in fast and hard, the sound of skin slapping loud in his ears but quickly drowned out by Jet's cries. Sam moved faster and pulled Jet back stronger, he could feel himself coming close, stamina didn't stay up when never used and he was quickly finding that an orgasm was starting to overtake him.

But he could feel Jet falling apart too, he could hear it and as much as he wanted to stop, turn them around so he could see Jet's face, he didn't have the discipline to quit where he was. It felt too good, he just wanted it a little bit more before he'd flip Jet over, a little more, a little longer but it was too late for them both. Sam's mind shot back to ground itself in reality when Jet screamed, really  _screamed_. He'd reached back to jerk himself off while Sam was plowing into him, that frenzied touch combined with Sam's cock repeated glancing over his prostate made one hell of a mess. Not that Sam cared though, to hear how well he'd taken Jet apart was enough for him. He found the energy to thrust faster, his fingers digging into the dip in Jet's sides as he held them in place. Sam could hear himself mumbling, muttering, panting and cursing but he didn't have the presence of mind to really know what he was saying; all he knew was Jet. Jet's hands fumbled back over his, the warmth of Jet's release transitioning and leaving a cooling wetness in its wake.

Sam was close, Jet's body had gotten to be fairly limp but he still rocked back to help ease Sam into it. The buildup was excruciating, Sam could feel every fibre in his being crying out for relief but it wasn't quite there, he didn't know why it wouldn't just slip over the edge but his mind teetered, holding tight to its spot on the verge of complete annihilation. Jet smiled to himself as he realized what was happening, Sam was losing steam, he was getting tired but he was  _right there_. Jet pulled away suddenly and reveled for a second in the sound of Sam's completely disgruntled reply.

"Lie down," Jet instructed and when Sam didn't listen he repeated himself, " _Lie down, Sam_. I'll take care of it."

"I want to cum inside you," Sam protested as he rolled onto his back, his muscles feeling stiff and overworked.

"You will," Jet crawled over him again, his thighs on either side of Sam's thin waist. It was so warm and welcoming; he'd really wanted to get that cock back inside him the moment he'd gotten away. Jet propped Sam up against his entrance and slowly lowered himself onto it, tensing only a little but it went in pretty easily.

Sam moaned and bucked up as best he could into Jet but it became apparent very quickly that Jet was the one in control. It was kind of fitting, Sam would have to admit, that Jet still held the reigns even after all of that. "Jet…" He breathed out heavily, his eye lids barely staying open.

"I've got you," Jet smiled and started to move, his legs were strong and though Sam thought it wouldn't be good enough he found out how wrong he was in a hurry. Jet moved fast and clenched harder around him, and though he was still taking it he managed to look like the fucking powerhouse Sam always remembered. And that just did it for him, looking at Jet, seeing his face and the motion of his body combined with feeling the same hot pressure threw Sam over the edge. He started to really arch his back, shoulders digging down into the mattress as his hands gripped and pulled at the sheets.

"Jet, Jet –oh, oh, oh _, oh!_   _Jet! JET!_ " Sam's body twitched, his hips jerked up and his vision went white for several seconds.

Jet rode him until Sam went limp, unable to really function anymore. He reached up and grabbed for his boyfriend, lazily trying to pull him back down. Jet chuckled and removed the used condom, tossing it into the waste bin before he conceded. Sam wrapped his arms around Jet's shoulders and buried his face against the other man's neck, nuzzling quietly as he came down from his high. He had no idea how Jet could go from completely wrecked and shaking to riding his dick like that, Sam could barely move his legs let alone put his weight on them.

Jet's arms rested over him and they laid that way together, not much to say and not many words ready to come out. He rested his head against Sam's and closed his eyes, his lips curled up in what felt like would be a permanent smile.

"I love you."

Jet's eyes shot open again and he looked down at Sam who blinked up at him, had he heard that right? Sam said…

"I love you, Jet."

His chest felt like a sack of bricks had been dropped on it as he struggled to find the words to say, "Sam, you… you mean that?"

"Why would I lie to you? I could've said nothing-" Sam was cut off when Jet's lips met his again, this time it was different though. The hormones and lust dropped from both of their actions, it was slower, deeper, and meant more than Sam could describe. He reached up and cupped Jet's cheek, finding streaks of wet spots running down to his chin. "Jet?" Sam leaned back again and looked at the other's face, at the tears that had escaped his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I love you too." Jet's voice was very calm despite the way he looked and Sam knew what it meant, Jet was happy, relieved, and too many more emotions than couldn't be held in one person.

"I know you do." Sam smiled back and kissed him again.


	58. Eat Your Vegetables: The Morning After

**Eat Your Vegetables: Part 7**

Morning sunlight pouring in the windows through the wavy curtains that neither of them noticed during the night. Dean woke with a smile, the idea of showers and continental breakfasts were exactly what he'd been looking forward to as his eyes fluttered open. He sighed softly at the weight over his chest, Castiel's arm draped over him so easily and without any hesitation. Dean rolled his head and nuzzled the warm body next to him, Cas' face buried into the pillow with his neck open to affection.

A light hum vibrated in Cas' throat when Dean nestled his face against his bare skin, he turned his head to look at the freckled beauty nosing at him. "Good morning," he mumbled sleepily, a sound that felt so good coming out. He shifted his weight to roll onto his back, a soft gasp jumping up to his mouth with the sudden dull throb of his body. It wasn't quite pain, just a reminder that a few hours previous he'd been at Dean's mercy. And Dean could really pound him, Cas recalled excitedly.

"How you feeling?" Dean ran his hand through his lover's hair, that morning-after glow lighting the room.

"Actually, for once, I feel amazing." Cas giggled and Dean thought his heart would give out. "Thank you, Dean. For never giving up on me."

"You already know I think you're worth everything you've put me through." Dean lied down with his cheek to Castiel's chest, closing his eyes to listen to the subtle thump of Cas' heart. "I love you, Cas."

"I love you too."

They were quiet for a while, letting things settled, listening to the gentle rush of air as they breathed together. And then Dean heard a low rumbling in Castiel's belly, a laugh escaping him as he ran his fingers over the flat expanse of the other priest's abdomen. "Breakfast?"

"That sounds lovely," Cas chuckled, his hand brushing over Dean's hair playfully. "But I feel sticky, can we shower first?"

"Definitely." Dean placed several small kisses along Cas' collarbone before lifting himself up. "Next time I want you to do it," he ran his hand through Castiel's hair again, repeating the petting motion slowly, mindlessly as he watched Cas' eyes flick over him.

"How about now? Grab the bottle." Castiel grinned and hopped up, his body not feeling sore after the night's activities but his mind thought he  _should_  be, attempting to compensate for a pain that wasn't there. He did, however, feel weak in the knees. But maybe that was an effect Dean had on him.

Dean's cheeks lit up like fire as he followed, his heart skipping with excitement. Twice in twenty-four hours? He was in heaven, pretty sure. "Babe, you said you didn't feel like a sex fiend but I'm thinking you're being too harsh on yourself." He smirked coming up behind his boyfriend in the bathroom, lube and a condom in hand. "I believe this is yours."

"Thank you," Cas leaned back, turning his head to kiss Dean's cheek before his partner angled himself to catch his lips. Dean's hands snaked around Castiel's torso, caressing his hip and dipping down between his legs to coax a little life into his cock. Cas moaned softly and bucked into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed in a daze. He didn't stop Dean from doing what he wanted, however Cas did intend to shower too. He reached for the knob and turned it on, keeping his mind about him while Dean rhythmically pumped his shaft, squeezing gently at the end and twisting his wrist just enough to get Cas' legs trembling again.

Castiel exhaled shakily and bit at Dean's lip, smiling as he pulled away. Dean returned the grin as his partner spun and pushed him around, pinning his back to the cold tiled wall. He shuddered but Cas' mouth on his again mostly distracted him from the shivering, he moaned into the embrace, heavily taking in air each time Cas allowed him. Strong, firm hands had traded places, Cas fondled Dean teasingly, a light stroke that had him thrusting forward in slow, shallow bursts.

They stayed that way as the water shot down on them, all hands and hot touching. Castiel reached behind Dean and pulled at his cheeks, separating them and generally kneading his ass to ease out new sounds. The other priest grunted and pressed his back harder against the slick surface, his arms wrapping around Castiel's shoulders and pulling him closer. He had expected the morning after to be lazy and soothing but Cas was on  _fire_ , it was fucking hot and making him all the more hungry for it.

Dean reached between them and started jerking them off together, his hand a little shaky but still managing a solid grip. Cas sighed heavily as he fell against Dean's shoulder, breath hot and wet on his skin. Or maybe that was the shower water, either way he didn't mind so much. "C'mere," Cas grunted a few moments later, pulling Dean away from the water's touch and turning him around to bend him forward. A soft chuckle left his lips as he smirked, running his fingers between Dean's cheeks just delicately enough to leave him shuddering in anticipation.

"Cas," Dean took a shuddering breath as his cheek met the smooth tiles, hands bracing himself against it because he knew what was coming. "I'm ready," he closed his eyes with a smile, energy and emotion coiling in his stomach.

There was a pause, a moment of silence and very little movement before he felt slippery fingers pushing at his insides. Castiel didn't hesitate, he knew Dean's physical capabilities and went ahead with lubricating his index and middle fingers, sticking them inside without a warning. Dean shouted out first, his head pressing against the wall harder as his body shook.

Dean had no idea what was happening inside him, his muscles shivered and his legs betrayed him, wanting to give out. The heat building up inside him snapped out through his limbs like missiles to the edges of his body. He couldn't hear the sounds coming out of him as much as he thought he might've been able to, but he wasn't paying attention either. His hearing was muffled to everything that wasn't Castiel, the noises of fingers pushing inside him and stretching, that wet, sick sound squelching over the dull pound of water on his skin. The droplets rushed down the back of his head and around to drizzle off his nose and parted lips. His mouth hung open as he panted against the unforgiving surface of the wall, Castiel had managed to rip the condom wrapper open with one hand and his teeth like he'd done it that way a thousand times.

Who knew, maybe he had.

" _Cas."_  Dean's voice pinched at the end, his hips moving backward onto the three fingered fucking he was getting. He'd never imagined it'd feel so good, but Cas' performance the night before was incredible and more than convincing. Dean wanted it, he wanted to have every part of Castiel that he could possibly take. The name repeatedly on the tip of his tongue was like a plea, 'Please, Cas' ' _please fuck me, Cas'_  'I love you, Cas.'

Fingers were out, he was hot inside and open, needy, desperate and waiting. Dean moaned and twisted his head around on the tiles he thought might be cracking. Everything tingled, burned inside him and boiled to the surface of his body until he whined with impatience. And there it was, the thick, hot pressure of Castiel's dick pushing at his insides. Dean cried out quietly, slowly growing louder and sharper the more of Cas he took on. "Fuck!" He cursed with a number of other words he didn't care to identify. It was painful but his body healed fast so the pain came in with the pleasure and faded just as quickly. Dean liked it.

Castiel gripped his hips hard, pulling him back as Cas snapped forward. It shocked his system and Dean cried out again, a hiss following and another shout after that as Castiel started to pound him. It burned, it hurt and it brought tears to Dean's eyes but he liked it. He grit his teeth and pushed back harder, it tore into him but it healed, he liked it. Cas' hands were bruising his sides as the other held himself up, keeping a solid and shattering pace. It made Dean scream, each crashing hit to his prostate, his nerves on fire and his forehead breaking the wall ahead of him.

Dean  _loved it._

He was coming in minutes, his fingers almost digging into the shower wall, the cracks from where his face and fingers pressed almost meeting. He had a free hand though, and it was busily pumping his own cock, hard and fast with the wetness of the water, squeezing out his orgasm like a tube of toothpaste. It was messy, lucky they were in the shower already or Dean would've had an interesting hour before breakfast.

Cas stuttered behind him, a heavy gasp was all the warning Dean got before his lover shuddered and fell against him, Cas twitched his hips forward as he writhed for a few moments, gulping down air. "You… you really… surprised me." He panted with a light laugh.

Dean glanced back at him, his face flushed and soaked. "I kinda surprised myself." He smiled and pulled forward, turning around to take Cas up in another kiss, "So… finish the shower?" He asked after a long, heated embrace.

"I think so." Cas sighed and gave Dean a hug, nuzzling their cheeks together.

* * *

Sam opened his eyes first, looking up at the ceiling in a daze. He felt amazing, euphoric and all around better than he had in the last few days. He couldn't get the image out of his head, Jet's face, his body, the way he moved and writhed, and  _those sounds._  Sam smiled and closed his eyes again, about to reach up and run a hand through his hair but he found he couldn't move his arm. In fact there was an unfamiliar weight all around him. Sam looked down to see Jet basically wrapped around him, on top of his arm and nuzzled in as close as he could get.

He could have sworn they'd gone to bed with Jet's back to the sheets and Sam curled around him – but then again Sam knew his preference for sleeping was face up or on his side. Apparently he'd gone for the former, but what really was a shock to him was how small his boyfriend looked right there. Jet's arms were thrown around him like the world was about to fall away from them, his face pressed to Sam's skin, an expression mostly neutral with a hint of what Sam thought might be sadness. There was a twitch in Jet's arms and the softest whimper from his throat, his eyelids fluttering but never opening. Sam exhaled slowly and ran his free hand through his boyfriend's hair, just a dream.

Sam waited quite some time before he really had to use the toilet, he bit his lip and glanced down at Jet again. There was no way he was getting out of there without waking the other man up. "Jet," Sam nudged him sweetly but it was apparently already too much of a sudden movement. Jet's eyes shot open and he looked up at Sam as if he'd just banged a metal pot over his head.

"Wh-what?" Jet relaxed when his mind registered who he was hanging on to, it happened in a split second but Sam still managed to see the horrible shock done to Jet's system.

"Sorry," Sam kissed his forehead and pet through his hair one more time, trying to smooth it back down. "I didn't want to wake you up but I have to pee."

Jet blinked several times before he nodded and rolled over, "Sure-ah! Ahh…" He hissed and moved much slower after the initial attempt to toss himself onto his side. "Goddamn it…" He whined as Sam hopped out of bed with a chuckle. "Don't laugh, this fucking hurts." Jet sneered, throwing a pillow at his partner's retreating back.

"I'll come help you out in a minute." Sam called over his shoulder, "Give you a hot bath and maybe we can go down for breakfast."

"Continental breakfasts are the worst." Jet muttered loud enough for Sam to hear him, not wanting to cut the conversation off. He realized his throat was sore, it sounded so hoarse and jagged. Jet ran his hand up and down to massage his neck but it obviously wasn't going to do him much good. "My throat hurts." He whined again, finding that it pained him less to be a baby about it. "Saaaaaam! Fix it!"

Sam just smiled to himself as he listened, as much as he knew he should probably be annoyed by it he couldn't help but enjoy this side of Jet. It was new, not totally strange or weird, just new and it was all for him. Jet was, in a way, showing reliance, he needed Sam. "I love you," Sam said as he walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands the rest of the way by rubbing them on his upper thighs. No clothing there but it didn't matter, it still did the job.

Jet was pouting but his cheeks flushed again when he heard the words, eyes lighting up as Sam walked over to him. "I love you too." He smiled in return and didn't make a fuss when Sam helped him up. It was a new kind of pain for Jet to get used to but it wasn't so bad; maybe next time he'd take Sam's advice and not go so hard, he had actually kind of hurt himself. Or at least made it sorer than it needed to be. "Bath, slave." Jet pointed to the bathroom when Sam attempted to pick him up.

"Right." Sam tried to keep his strain to himself but it wasn't quite possible, Jet was heavy, he had a lot of muscle mass even though he looked pretty lean some of the time. And Sam wasn't quite up to his full and proper weight yet, his muscle was coming back to him but he still hadn't reached the strength he'd been before getting sick. It took a lot of time for his body to go back to normal and he was quickly realizing it wasn't there yet.

Really though, the most prominent moment that told him he wasn't where he used to be was when he fell to the floor. Both he and Jet tumbled to the hotel room carpet with a loud and dramatic outcry from the both of them. And as soon as Jet was certain Sam was fine, laughing and totally fine, he started cursing out his new boyfriend for sucking at carrying people.

It was a brand new day, a completely different light shone on all four of them that morning, but they really hadn't changed all that much.


	59. Eat Your Vegetables: On Our Way

**Eat Your Vegetables: Part 8**

Downstairs in the lobby for the continental breakfast, Dean and Cas had already settled with their little muffins and other things, sipping at coffee like they hadn't tasted it in far too long. Dean glanced up when he heard Sam and Jet coming, he hadn't been paying attention the other night, how had their night gone? He wanted to know and judging by the way  _Jet_ was walking, it was good. Dean nearly spat his coffee across the room, Jet was the one with a slight limp.  _Jet_  was the one who took it, Dean couldn't quite swallow that. His best friend, the toughest son of a bitch he knew, bent over for his little brother? For Sammy? Dean watched Sam as they approached, that smile nearly lighting up the room.

"Morning guys," Dean smiled, eyeing Jet with a sort of 'I'm going to bug you so bad for this' look. But instead of getting the 'shut up Dean' he'd expected, he saw just how happy Jet looked. Just a simple little smile and a glint in his eye. It was like the one Dean saw in Cas', or his own in the mirror.

"Hey Dean." Sam dropped into a chair, very different than the way Jet eased himself down.

Jet poked Sam roughly, "Food, get it." He demanded and Sam rolled his eyes, getting up again.

"Be right back I guess."

"I'll come with," Cas stood up, "I want another one of those fruit tart thingies." He trotted along at Sam's side, leaving Dean and Jet to sit and vegetate for a bit.

Dean immediately looked at Jet with his eyes widened, "Did you really-"

"Yeah." Jet didn't hesitate, blush or shy away from it. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at his long-standing friend. "Didn't you?"

Dean couldn't help the blush as he remembered it, "Yeah, I got him last night and we switched it this morning." He scratched the back of his head, he supposed he really couldn't poke much fun at Jet for it. "We're a couple of idiots in love, aren't we?"

"I wouldn't call us idiots," Jet looked over at Sam and Cas with that charming smile he wore sometimes, "We picked some amazing partners."

Dean turned his head to look at them, Cas glancing around as if he would be caught or in trouble for taking more than one more fruit tart. It was so cute, glancing left and right really quick and snatching at least two more. "No kidding… So what do we do now?" He looked back at his friend quizzically. "We're so busy with life threatening crap, and, you know, it's  _life threatening_. I think I'll lose my mind if Cas gets hurt."

"You've been crushing on him since you met him and you're still pretty sane after all the things we've already done, I think you're good, dude." Jet reached over and stole his coffee for a sip before putting it back, "And in terms of what to do about the actual relationship, we'll either have to make time for a date every now and then or just hurry through this mess. I don't think 'hurrying' will be much of an option but things are looking up. We've got that Futurum place to get to, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Right, so we'll get some info there, figure out where to go next and find a way to get you and Cas to the heart of this problem. There's gotta be something causing the whole thing, we'll take it down and presto, happy ending for all of us." Jet smiled up at Sam as he settled down again, food placed in front of him. "Thanks." He leaned over and left a kiss on Sam's cheek.

"You're welcome," Sam cupped the back of Jet's head and didn't quite let him break away, not without a stronger return.

Castiel placed a tart in front of Dean and scooted his chair forward, "So you're discussing what we're doing next already?"

"Just the ending," Dean shrugged, lighting brushing his fingers over the stubble on his boyfriend's face.

"It's impossible to tell how this will all end, I think we need to keep our hopes realistic." Cas replied more seriously, "Assuming it'll be as easy as finding the start of the problem and taking it out is wishful thinking."

"Not trying to think that hard on it, Cas." Jet raised an eyebrow at him, his lips pressed together in slight irritation. "Just a conversation. The main issue we had was what to do with our boyfriends, since regular date time doesn't look like an option."

Sam laughed and ran his hands through Jet's hair a few times, he liked doing that. "I don't care what we do together, as long as you're with me."

Their breakfast went without a hitch, other than the slight hiss Jet attempted to stifle each time he had to get up or move awkwardly. They planned to leave immediately, as soon as the food was finished. Jet curled his lips into his mouth and pressed them together a few times as the others discussed it and without another word created the portal to the mainline. He walked over like they did, not a word spoken but he turned his head back toward the world before he stepped through, he wouldn't really get a chance to say goodbye to Vincent. It was probably for the best though, the kid didn't know the difference between him and his real dad, seeing two of his dad might freak him out.

A priest always had to enter the portal last, it closed behind the second partner as it always had. Dean stood and watched the way Jet's gaze lingered and he couldn't just let it go, "What's up?"

"Nothing." Jet smiled and hopped through, he'd at least remember the kid.

* * *

**Mainline**

Stepping out of the world and onto the mainline was unnerving at best, Castiel could see Futurum, a world he'd previously been locked out of like all the others he was visiting. The fire flickered and reflected what it saw and saw it, it was beautiful but also entirely terrifying. "You guys ready to find out what Michael and Gabriel were talking about?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Dean answered for the others but Sam wasn't so sure.

After all the thing they'd heard, that little bit that tipped them off to look into Sam and Jet in the first place was the sound of Sam screaming for Dean to help Jet. What in their future was going to lead to that kind of thing? His heart started to constrict just thinking about it, his boyfriend might be out of his hands in no time. "I'm… are we sure we want to…" He fumbled over his words, he knew they were stupid, he knew it but what else could he do?

Jet took his hand and started walking down the pathway to Futurum, his grip comforting and so simple. "Let's get a move on, kids." He called over his shoulder, "Sam and I can't open this thing."

Cas raised an eyebrow at them but didn't address it, it was clear why Sam was so nervous. "You better not fall into anything, I don't know what this world's going to be like."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called and they all turned their heads, not used to hearing voices at all on the mainline. It was Michael and Gabriel again. How many times would they run into each other, for pete's sake? Dean gave a short wave back and glanced at his companions, none of them had an answer either.

"You guys done in that other world already?" Dean asked as Michael approached.

"We've taken care of at least two now, you haven't reached Futurum yet?" He looked at them curiously, a slightly condescending smirk starting to tug at his lips.

Dean shook his head, "We got caught in a rift, spat out somewhere else, fought a gigas, you know."

Michael stared at him in disbelief, eyes slowly blinking as he registered the information, "A gigas? You took down a gigas?"

"Yeah…" Cas trailed off and strolled a little closer to lean around and see Michael's face a little better, "Why? You two haven't?"

"No, gigas are… well you saw it. They're nearly impossible to kill, luckily they're rare though. It's been a long time since I last saw one…" He touched his hand to his chin thoughtfully for a moment before looking over at Gabriel, his mouth opened slightly as if he were about to speak but he stopped mid motion. Gabe was in the midst of winking at Sam again, though this time there was a much different reaction from the younger Winchester.

"Sorry short stack, I'm taken." He lifted his hand, still clasped tightly around Jet's.

Gabriel's pout pulled into a smile almost immediately. "Aw, you sure-"

"He's sure." Jet snapped as he pulled Sam into him and away from the strange priest. "Do you two have anything better to do than bother us? What do you want?"

"Cool it Jet," Dean smirked and turned back to Michael, "He's right though, did you guys need something?"

"Yes actually, I wanted to give you this." Michael opened his palm, a white gold necklace in his hand. There were two gems studded in the highest parts of the heart shape dangling from the chain, a garnet and an emerald. Dean recognized the necklace, it was something his dad had made specially for his mom on mother's day. She was always wearing it, even the day she'd disappeared. "Is… Where did you get this?" Dean took it, his fingers tracing around it mesmerizingly.

"We found it, the second world we went to in the last little while was Aeterna, further back in the timeline. I wanted to know if there were any clues there, like why the Void wouldn't have attacked it, et cetera et cetera. Many questions later not a lot of answers, except I do know something about your parents." Michael explained matter-of-factly, not knowing the weight of his words.

Dean growled and looked away, "There's nothing you could know, they died and that's it."

"They went missing, Dean." Sam corrected softly but it still earned him an angry stare from his brother.

"We know that they didn't die," Gabriel joined in a little more seriously than he'd been. "They were taken out of the world, they're still alive somewhere."

"What?" Dean and Sam said in unison, their eyes widening as the words really sunk in. "Where?"

"We don't know," Michael turned his head away, glancing to Castiel then back at Dean, "We were hoping you'd gotten to Futurum to see something."

"Well it's not a bad thing we caught them first," Gabe shrugged and pat Sam on the shoulder, there was an animal snarl in Jet's throat but he ignored it. "In Futurum the things you see can be very influenced by what you're thinking about or how you feel, that's why Mike and I heard a bit from your group – we've been searching all over the galaxy for you. Point in case, keep thinking about your parents, you might see something."

Dean gripped the necklace a little tighter and nodded. He went to Sam and put it on him, "You hold onto this, I don't know where I'll end up."

"You don't know where I'll end up either," Sam furrowed his brow, looking down at their birthstones embedded into the white gold heart, it was comforting though, to have it there.

"I know I'll have to fight whatever comes, you don't."

"Thanks, Dean." Sam hugged him, closing his eyes and letting his head rest against his big brother. It was needed, hearing about their parents wasn't ever easy, even after ten years. "I… I don't know what to say, why would they be taken out of our world?"

Dean shook his head as they stepped away from each other, "Don't know, maybe to get to me?"

"Taken away is a question of 'what took them' and not 'why.'" Jet walked over and gave them both a squeeze on the shoulder. He'd known them since he could remember, Sam was an infant and Dean was a brat. He'd met their parents, he knew John and Mary almost as his own to some extent. "Knowing why won't help us find them, at least with a 'what' we have a starting point."

The brothers nodded together, each leaning forward and catching Jet in a group hug. The three of them had always been something of a family to begin with. Dean motioned for Cas to join, "You're part of this too, Cas. Come here."

Castiel smiled and obliged, he didn't know Dean's parents yet but the prospect of meeting them seemed that much more exciting. It would be a family reunion, a long awaited time for two boys who hadn't seen their parents in over ten years, and in that time they would introduce Castiel as part of the family He hadn't met his late husband's parents, they were already gone, he'd never had the chance to do that. Tears burned at the back of his eyes as he stepped away again, "Let's get in there, something's bound to come up." He looked to Michael and Gabriel again, "Thank you, you're very considerate to do this for us."

"You're our last hope, if we can help in any way we'll certainly do it." Michael smiled and leaned into a sweeping bow, one hand to his chest the other swung out for balance. "If you don't mind we'll take our leave, let me know how things have gone next time we meet."

"Will do." Dean smiled and gave a thumb's up as the other two priests took off again. "I kinda like those two, I hope we see more of them."

"I'm getting the feeling that we're on parts of the mainline that'll lead us to meeting more priests like them," Cas mused as he approached the world's entering point. "It'd be nice, really. I've always thought I was the only one."

Dean leaned around Castiel's side and kissed his cheek, "Well, you've been with us for a while now, not entirely alone."

Cas smiled and returned the kiss, holding it a little longer, "You're right."

"I don't like them." Jet folded his arms over his chest grumpily, glaring after the last place he'd seen the other two.

"Calm down Jet," Sam chuckled, linking arms with him despite his unhappy disposition. "So he hits on me, it's not like I'm jumping into bed with him."

"Better not, we'll have one less priest helping us out." Jet snickered, loosing his crossed arms to better hook up with Sam.

Cas opened the portal and stepped through, leading the way into what they hoped would be a few more answers than what they already had.


	60. Futurum: First Warning

**Futurum: Part 1**

Castiel felt his heart leap into his throat the moment they arrived, there were a rush of sounds and a mess of images bombarding them instantly. It was all relevant, a memory, a thought, dreams and more. Cas stumbled back as a ghostly figure flew toward him and vapourized before it touched him, all in a split second the sounds of his late lover telling him to run, the broken tone and multiple voices echoing into the area around him. Cas shuddered but remained standing, he could feel strong hands on his shoulders, bracing him and holding him upright. It wasn't Dean, Dean would have held him, hugged him close. Sam would have done the same but a little less intimately; this one had to be Jet. "Thank you," He smiled back at the taller male with some relief evident in his face.

"No problem." Jet shrugged with a soft laugh, "That kinda spooked me too."

They looked around and found themselves alone in the dimly lit world. Everything around them was either lacking light entirely or just shaded incredibly dark, it was like they stood in a hallway but it gave off more of a sense of being outside. There were sounds like a nighttime forest would make, the rush of trees and pattering of little feet through underbrush. But nothing looked that way, no real animal sounds were evident, everything appeared to be metal or machinery though they couldn't hear that at all. Jet snorted out another laugh as they took in the sights. "I guess seeing the future isn't a very bright and sunshine-y concept but they could have at least put up a lamp or two."

Castiel chuckled and started walking, "Come on, I'm betting anything that these corridors will lead us to what Michael was talking about." Jet followed his lead with a simple nod, his fingers tingling at the tips as he looked at the walls.

"What do you think that was all about? The weird ghost thingy… None of that's happening now."

"I think it's just the world's way of saying hello. It's very easily influenced, or so Michael said. It probably got overwhelmed with four new arrivals and shot out some of the stronger memories at us." Castiel hurried through his explanation though Jet knew better than to believe he was totally fine with it.

"You alright?"

"Don't worry, I'll be alright," Cas reassured him casually, it still hurt but it was so dull now. Dean was healing him, carefully, properly, Dean would fix him.

"Cool…" Jet let the word trail off as they walked further, he pursed his lips like he were about to speak but he shut his mouth instead. No need to push it.

* * *

Sam looked around as soon as his brain was able to decipher the new world he was seeing, he could hear so many different things at once but the loudest was his own voice echoing. Sam hadn't opened his mouth but he could hear himself loud and clear, screaming at the top of his lungs;  _"JET!"_

Dean took his arm and turned him around to find that Sam wasn't the one actually speaking but they could hear him. "Sam..." Dean was at a loss for words and the name that usually came to his mouth was Sam's when that happened. "What... what was that?"

"I don't know," Sam looked just as disturbed, his skin crawling and his throat bobbing as he swallowed. "I don't like it."

"Considering we're in a world that shows us future events, I don't think I like it either." Dean muttered, a nervousness settling into his gut. What on earth was happening? Or going to happen that Sam would ever have to scream Jet's name like that? It didn't sound like a sexual moment, there was no sign of lust in his tone, Sam's voice was so terrified. Dean knew the sound of his brother's fear, it was etched into his being like a fucking burn mark so why? Why was he hearing it now?

"Let's... keep going." Sam tried to shake off the feeling but it just wouldn't leave him alone, the further they walked through the strange corridors he more he wanted to leave. It was affecting him too easily and he couldn't figure out why, or even what it was. They were quiet for a bit before Dean decided to try and make Sam feel a little more comfortable.

"So it's been a while since we talked, huh?" He started with a soft laugh, the realization coming out of his mouth as soon as it came to mind.

"Kind of, yeah." Sam nodded, the same thought dawning on him. "So... how have you been taking all of this? I mean, we were just living at home not too long ago."

"It's hard to tell time in this weird mess, isn't it?" Dean grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, it's interesting. It's terrifying too but at this point I can't imagine living normally, you and Jet are here so the people I'd miss most aren't that far from me. And I'd never trade the time I have with Cas for anything. So I guess I'm pretty good."

"Even though you're supposed to be some legendary epic hero guy?" Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother, a playful smile on his lips.

"Trying not to think about that, really."

Sam's smile dropped slowly and he moved around to see Dean's face a bit better. "Scared?"

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you be? It's huge, Sam. The whole universe, all of these words, are depending on me and Cas."

"Cas and I."

"Shut it," Dean hit his little brother in the arm, "But seriously, it's a lot of pressure. I don't know what I'd do without you and Jet with me, it's such a big help."

"Don't we get in the way?" Sam looked ahead again, thinking of all the times he'd tripped up or had to be rescued, "I feel like I'm nothing more than everyone's damsel in distress. Cas looks at me like a little brother, you do, Jet did - Jet even swore that if he came along on this trip I was his responsibility."

"You'll always be my responsibility," Dean placed a hand on Sam's shoulder and stopped his pace to share a look, "Doesn't matter what happens, Sammy, I'm always gonna be the one to take care of you."

"Gonna have to let Jet take over at some point, Dean." Sam smiled appreciatively, moving to give his big brother a hug. They pressed their cheeks together briefly before letting go again.

"Speaking of, you happy?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded, thinking back on it. "Jet's always been there when I needed him, and that's usually only when you aren't around but still. You know him, Dean, he's been your best friend since kindergarten, I don't have to explain him to you."

"He's been your friend since I was in kindergarten too, Sammy." Dean smiled, picking up the pace again, "But yeah I know him, I think he's the only one I'll let get away with the shit he does with you." He trailed off, his mind repeating the sound of Sam's scream just moments before, "He's also the only one I trust to stay with you. I mean if you were with a chick it'd be different but-"

"How would that be different? Women can be just as ruthless as men, Dean. I mean hell, they're probably scarier when it comes to emotional pain."

"Shut up, you know what I mean." Dean shoved him.

"I kinda don't, actually." Sam rubbed his arm, not wanting to remind Dean his strength could be a little much. "But you're protective so I figure that's it."

"Basically. It's different when you're the dominant one."

"You saw Jet, who says I'm not now?"

"I also know Jet." Dean reminded him and Sam nodded, physical position didn't make as much of a difference as he liked to pretend. Topping Jet was good but Sam couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like the other way, he could barely get the image out of his head already. Jet hadn't been in the dominant position at the end but he was still in full control, what would it be like to let him take everything? Sam felt a tingle in his back and limbs, it was an experiment he wanted to take part in when he got the chance.

They were quiet again, Sam pursed his lips together and looked at Dean again, "You happy?"

"Hell yeah," Dean laughed, apparently he'd been itching to talk about it. "Cas doesn't think he's much of anything in the bedroom but damn that boy can move."

"He's ancient, Dean."

"He's a kid at heart, Sam."

Sam chuckled and nodded, "He can be, I guess. Still a bit of a stick in the mud, you'll have to loosen him up some more."

"The pressure of all this world ending crap has gotten to him, he's been in it for centuries, like you said he's ancient. I'm already feeling it, imagine thinking you were entirely alone." Dean shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek as he tried to put himself in those shoes. "So yeah, I'll have to shake him out a little bit."

Neither of them wanted to say it first but the thoughts were eating at Sam like there was no tomorrow. "How do you feel about mom and dad?"

Dean didn't trip up or hesitate he just shrugged, "I hope they're alive, I hope they're okay. But mostly I hope they have a good fucking reason for leaving us like that."

Sam smiled, that sounded like the reaction he'd been expecting and the same one that he'd been struggling with. "I'm so glad to hear you say that." he laughed in relief, looking down with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to be mad, you know?" He shrugged and looked ahead at what appeared to be a room they were coming up to. "I thought you'd get mad at me for not being overjoyed at the prospect of seeing them but... I couldn't stop thinking about it, what if they weren't forced out or hurt but left us? Why wouldn't they come back? I'm just glad you're on the same page."

"Hell yeah I am," Dean clapped his brother on the back, also feeling a wash of relief that Sam wasn't going to chew him out for it. "The pain we went through without them was enough make me angry. It's different if they couldn't come back, I can't wait to see them, I want to see them but-"

"-you don't know what you'll do if they did it on purpose?"

"Exactly."

The brothers nodded to one another as they entered the new room, a stadium sized thing with stands and a giant sphere float in the center. Sam's mouth slowly slipped open as he took it in, a good word to describe his face was 'awe.' Dean on the other hand pushed his lips up in a 'not bad' kind of expression, nodding his head as he rolled his head back and forth to see it all. There were several other entrances lining the place and he knew immediately that Castiel and Jet would emerge from one of them.

"Let's go take a look at the big ball," Dean trotted down the stairs leading to the base of the center sphere, motioning for Sam to follow him.

They had to tilt their heads back to look at the thing, it was big and glowing softly like a pulse in the dimly lit world. "Is this the thing that'll show us future events?" Sam asked, squinting a bit as he tilted his head further back to look at it.

"Probably," Dean reached forward and touched it, the moment his fingers made contact the surface of the ball rippled and it flashed a bright white. The brothers covered their faces for protection as the sounds of many different realities filtered through at the same time until one settled. The light of the sphere died down and a scene played out in real time before them.

_Dean stood in front of large mess of rubble, his breathing heavy and his body bleeding all over. He stumbled a little and stepped back, looking over to where Castiel stood holding onto Sam. Sam was on his knees, his face soaked with tears, pain carved into his face like it'd been done with a real knife. "Is he okay?" Dean called, over and Castiel nodded quietly._

_And then the rubble moved, a hand pushing out of it and pulling the rest of the body along. The clothes were familiar, tattered and dirty but they were definitely the same jeans and shirts that Jet always wore._

Dean and Sam looked at one another, neither of them knew what the hell they were seeing, how far in the future, what world it was, nothing. "What the fuck?" Dean was the first to say it.

"I don't know," Sam looked back to the image of Jet clawing his way out of the debris.

_"That hurts my feelings, Dean." Jet's voice, it sounded like him, but his expression and how he held himself were so wrong._

_"Don't talk to me like we're friends," Dean pointed an accusatory finger at the other, he was shaking. "What are you?"_

_"I'm Jet."_

_"Dean!" Sam shouted from the sideline, pulling forward but not able to get away from Castiel, "Dean please don't hurt him! I can't lose him again, Dean please!"_

And then it cut out.

Sam's heart pounded against his chest like a jackhammer, he looked at Dean with wild eyes, hoping his brother had an answer, "Again? I can't lose him again? What the hell was that?"

Dean shook his head, "I still don't know." His heart ached just seeing it, what was going to happen to his best friend? Why were they fighting? Too many questions. "You touch it."

Sam shook his head this time, "No, I can't... I don't want to know any more about that."

"No one's saying it'll be the same thing, Sammy." Dean reassured him, "Please? We need to know what this thing has to show us."

Sam bit his lip but nodded, his fingers tentatively tapped at the sphere's surface, the same garbled noises rolling through as different timelines sifted out. The first thing they heard was a voice they didn't quite recognize.

_"Dean? Is that you?"_

_An older man stood at Dean's back, dark hair with a few grey patches here and there, old and tired eyes. Dean turned around and his face lit up, "Dad?"_

Sam's eyes were already burning, tears at the rim as he looked to his big brother, Dean's face matched the look his image had been wearing. "Dad's alive? Is that our dad?" Sam knew Dean didn't have the answer but he had to ask.

"He's wearing a priest's uniform." Dean muttered shakily, his hand lifting to point it out. Sam's gaze snapped back, Dean was right.

_"Dad how... you're a high priest?" Dean gawked and looked up at John's tortured but smiling face, "Is that why you didn't come home? Where's mom?"_

_"I am a high priest, and you finally caught up." John went to give Dean a hug, squeezing his eldest son as tight as he could. "I'll explain more later, right now we need to find your mom and your partner and get out of here."_

_"You guys get separated too?" Dean asked after a moment of letting everything sink in, clearly he'd wanted to say more._

_"Damn portals, am I right?"_

_"Yeah."_

Dean and Sam stood in silence as the images ended again, neither of them knew what to say. They hadn't really gotten much information other than their dad and their mom had become priests. "What... does that mean?" Sam muttered after several minutes.

"I don't know," Dean said again, it seemed to be the only thing he did know, that he didn't know anything. "It could mean that they couldn't come back to our world because they had the fate of the universe on their shoulders, it could mean that they knew I was one of the world's last hopes, that something would be after me... You think they were keeping us safe all this time?"

"Uh," Sam looked at him disapprovingly, "Then why did that demoni get into me in the first place? They're either doing a shitty job of it or something happened recently."

"Huh... good point." Dean scratched the tip of his nose thoughtfully, "Does it work more than once?" He tested it by touching it again, the same scene flashed in front of him but this time reached forward to touch it too, see what would happen. Maybe to make it stop. The scene shifted, same time and place but from where Sam was sitting.

_"Cas... please let me go." He sobbed, uselessly pulling at the arm Castiel held in place._

_"I'm sorry, sweetie, I can't do that." Cas spoke softly, his voice shaking just enough to be audible. "Let Dean handle this."_

_"Cas it's my fault, it's my fault he was there, let me go to him-"_

_"No!" Castiel snapped, kneeling at his side, "He was there because he chose to be, not because you wanted to come with. Stop blaming yourself and think, it's not safe and he wouldn't want you to do this."_

_"Is he okay?"_

_Castiel looked up and nodded, his eyes starting to widen as the rubble moved. "Shit..."_

_Sam pulled forward, "He's alive." Castiel still held him in place but Sam tried to get away._

_"What are you?"_

_"I'm Jet."_

_Sam couldn't take it, "Dean! Dean please don't hurt him! I can't lose him again, Dean please!"_

Sam covered his mouth with his hand and stood there for several seconds, he didn't want to see it, especially not from where he had been- would be standing. "We can't let that happen, Dean." He whispered, "Please..."

"I'll keep him as safe as I can, Sammy." Dean gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

There were distant footsteps and they both looked up to see Castiel and Jet appear in an upper corridor. "Hey!" Jet called with a wave and Sam couldn't keep himself still. He bolted to the stairs and took them two at a time, rushing to meet his boyfriend. Castiel and Jet shared a quick exchange before the taller of the two rushed down to meet Sam half way. Sam collided with him like a freight train, knocking him backward onto his butt on the staircase, his arms wrapping around the younger instinctively. "Hey, Sam what happened?" He asked gently, not daring to let go.

Sam buried his face into Jet's chest and held on as tightly as he could, "Don't go, please don't go." he sobbed incoherently. Castiel hurried to their side and knelt down, brushing his fingers over Sam's hair sweetly, glancing at Jet who had no idea what to say.

"I'm not going anywhere, Sam." Jet leaned down and kissed the top of Sam's head. He glanced down at the sphere and furrowed his brow, "What did you see?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't you." Sam mumbled.

Cas pet through his hair a few times, not wanting to leave his side in that kind of state. "Whatever we see here can be changed, Sam." He whispered soothing, coaxing the younger Winchester's head up from Jet's torso, "Okay?"

"What I saw... it doesn't have to happen?"

"No, like reading the journal we can alter timelines just by knowing something. Whatever it is you saw we'll figure it out and avoid it, okay?"

Sam nodded and wiped his face, "Thanks, Cas."

"No problem, sweetie." Cas smiled and rose to his feet, walking down to meet Dean again. "What happened?"

"I'll show you in a minute," Dean shook his head, "Something bad happens to Jet, I don't get it but maybe it's a demoni? Didn't quite look like Sam did though..."

Castiel nodded and looked back to where Jet was cupping Sam's cheeks, speaking calmly and sweetly, easing Sam's worries. "It must've been scary."

"Well in the vision Sam said 'I can't lose him again,' so before whatever we saw happens we lose Jet. I'm gonna keep a closer eye on him." Dean watched too, sighing lightly as Jet pulled Sam into a hug.


	61. Futurum: Visions

**Futurum: Part 2**

Sam walked down to the sphere, Jet's hand firmly in his when they stopped beside the other couple. He was quiet as he looked up at the strange other-worldly device until his face tightened. "I want… I want him to see it." He said after a moment's hesitation, his eyes cast down for a second before drifting over to his brother's gaze.

Dean nodded and moved to the sphere's surface, "We all need to know this stuff so we might as well replay them." He said with as much of a light-hearted attitude as he could muster. It wasn't that hard for him, he'd had plenty of practice acting like the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed, with their parents disappearing, with Sam getting sick and everything in between.

Castiel and Jet were both quiet as the sphere lit up and did its thing; first they showed the one with John Winchester. Jet immediately looked to exchange a glance with Dean; one Dean knew had to mean 'well that answers next to nothing.'

"So your parents were priests…" Castiel muttered as it ended, not sure how to react to that one. It seemed exciting, that they were alive for certain, that he'd meet them soon, but he didn't know the circumstances. He didn't know how Dean was going to react to it, the truth of what his dad would tell him when that time came. But that time would come, Cas wouldn't bother with it yet. "That's why they had to leave you."

"We're thinking, yeah." Dean nodded and pursed his lips as he thought it over again, "I'm going to meet my dad…"

"My favourite part was when you guys joked about the portals." Jet muttered with a chuckle, his lips pulling up in a smile as the others turned to him endearingly. "Let's play the next one."

The second scene played from the original point of view after Sam touched the sphere, no one spoke until it was finished. Castiel turned to look at Jet, his tongue stuck in what he wanted to say first. It was horrifying, to see a good friend that way, to see him so out of himself that even a smile looked wrong. There had been an awful feeling in the room just seeing it, his voice wasn't right, his demeanor, his entire existence was seeping out and it wasn't good. Definitely not human. "I've… never seen anything like what we just witnessed." He confessed with a hint of anxiety resonating in his vocal chords, brow creased together. That fact alone, that Castiel who knew pretty much every monster they'd ever encountered said he had no idea, should terrify them. "I don't know what it is that gets a hold of you in that scene."

Jet frowned and looked over at Castiel, "That wasn't a scene, that's a possible reality." He knew he should try to keep calm with Sam next to him, to keep his cool and not freak out but what the fuck was that? He wasn't known for his great ability to hold back a reaction, he knew his face was tense, his hand in Sam's had tightened, he knew he'd given it all away with just one flinch but he tried to compose himself afterward with a slow breath. "Do we know anything other than that?"

"We know we get different angles depending on who touches it second," Dean was careful with his tone, Jet was on edge and just about anything could set him off. He motioned to Sam, "Let's do it again, show them the other side."

Sam nodded and they played it again, more from where Castiel and Sam were standing. Jet was still quiet as he watched though his face was twisted, anger and pain mixed up. "I hate seeing you like that," he looked over at Sam, his expression softening into something a little more emotional than just the rage that had consumed it previous. "And in whatever scenario that is, if it does happen, Cas was right. Don't you dare run to me when I'm doing shit like that."

Sam grit his teeth, he wanted to argue and fight back but Jet had to say that to him, he had to or Sam would undoubtedly do it. "We'll see what happens if we ever get there." None of them liked that, to say it like it was a distant and unrelated thing while it loomed over them. And at the same time they were all acting as though meeting John and Mary were an inevitability, whatever it was that Jet was going to experience was almost impossible. They could all see the contradictions they were making but no one wanted to alter it or even mention it.

"Do it again," Castiel instructed, "But this time I'll touch it second, let's see what else we can get from this thing."

Dean nodded and tapped the sphere, Castiel's fingers finding its surface soon after. The light flashed and the scene looked similar except a bit of time had gone by.

_Castiel stood across from Jet, the taller male smiled devilishly, deep, black smoke seeped from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. It was a standoff and from the angle given it was evident Castiel was between his foe and the Winchester brothers. Dean collapsed in Sam's arms as the younger of the two glared up with a tear stained face, dirt and blood splattered across like a ruined canvas._

" _You've done more than enough, leave." Castiel demanded, a light glow started in his eyes and slowly intensified._

" _Please, you think it's that easy? That I'll go so soon? You're the chosen ones, I have to make sure my welcome is good enough for you, we've all been waiting." Jet's voice came out in a calm, disturbingly friendly tone. "_ I _have been waiting. I've been waiting the longest, Castiel. You've been a thorn in my side for far too long and I think it's time I did something about it." He lashed out, sprinting forward and coming face to face with Castiel, the priest caught his wrist and braced his shoulder against the impact of Jet's body._

" _I don't want to hurt you Jet; we'll find a way to fix this." Castiel strained to say as he held them in place, he wasn't going to let Jet get past him._

_And Jet smiled wider, "Who says I want it to be fixed?"_

The sphere shut off again. Sam looked at Jet who was making a sour face, "Alright, that's definitely not me in there."

"You think?" Dean looked at him curiously, "We don't know what happens between now and then."

"Dude," Jet looked and sounded offended, both details that were more than enough for Dean to realize he had said it wrong. "Are you serious? You know me!" He'd started to raise his voice, letting go of Sam and walking over to Dean to fully confront him. "What the fuck do you think would make me prefer having a face that oozes toxic fumes to staying with you three? Are you fucking  _hearing_  yourself?"

"I'm sorry," Dean shook his head and raised his hands defensively, "I know you wouldn't, I just need to think of the possibilities here."

"Well how about having some faith in me, huh? Do it again, it's my turn." Jet huffed and copied the way Cas and Sam had done it, following Dean's lead. The sphere did what it did but instead of a scene they were shown nothing but darkness, a distantly echoing voice that made no sense until it faded to silence. The sphere continued but no sound came out. Something moved but it was too dark to see, everything in the room felt heavy, dismal and it was only getting worse.

Castiel stiffened and focused on it, he knew that feeling better than anyone. "That's… that's the Void." He whispered softly, "Whatever we're seeing, or supposed to be seeing, it's inside the Void.

As the others turned to look at him a sharp and wretched scream nearly pierced their eardrums. All four covered their ears and winced as it faded.

"That was Jet." Sam muttered, fear controlling his facial expressions almost entirely. "Why's Jet in the Void?" He looked at the others, Dean and Jet shared an exchange between them that said nothing Sam could understand, he focused on the other priest.

"I don't know," Castiel shook his head and rubbed his ears, "I have no idea, there are many ways he could have gotten there. But maybe we should see if any other predictions will be related to it, more importantly we need something on our mission. Whatever it is that gets into Jet knows about the prophesied priests, we need to know more about it ourselves." He looked at them as they all slowly nodded.

"Cas is right," Dena looked at Jet whose expression was still fairly tense but he was doing a better job of masking it. "Whatever happens to you can be prevented if Cas and I can figure out what we need to do, right? So let's see if we can get anything like that."

"Okay," Jet looked over at Sam and nodded to the sphere, "Last time your touch showed us Dean and your dad, let's see what else we can get from it."

Sam looked as though he were going to protest, cry, scream, and generally get angry but his shoulders slumped and he nodded, "Fine." What could he do about Jet anyway? Everything he'd seen was the result of something else, something that took Jet from him in the first place. He had to prevent  _that_  and he didn't even know what it was. Why focus on it when he could possibly fix the main cause? Sam touched the sphere and Dean tapped it next.

_Sam and Castiel ran down a long corridor, the foundation of the building they were in shaking and by all rights might have been collapsing. Cas paused at an intersection, allowing Sam a moment to catch up before he chose a side and bolted again. "It's this way!" Cas shouted over the rumbling noises that nearly drowned him out._

" _How much further?" Sam insisted impatiently._

" _I don't know, Sam. It feels like we're on top of it." Castiel replied tiredly, his frustrations seeped into his tone and gave away how annoyed he was getting. "Some monsters give off energy, as I told you before, but the ones that do are often the worst kind."_

" _Why?" Sam was struggling to keep up with Castiel the longer they went on, high priests had increased speed and Cas wasn't exactly waiting for him. "Are they stronger? You didn't say anything about the Gigas."_

" _Not necessarily stronger but they do tend to have nastier abilities."_

" _For example?"_

" _For example we're dealing with a vacuo, if I remember correctly they have a tendency to suck areas the size of football fields into the Void."_

The three looked to Cas who pushed his lips up in a 'not bad' kind of expression and nodded, "I'm right, that's what they do, more or less."

"So while I'm meeting my dad you and Sam are trying to find this thing?" Dean raised an eyebrow and made a face, "That seems kind of unfair."

"Well if it makes you feel better I'm probably in front of the world sucking monster." Jet smirked at him and Dean chuckled.

"What else does a vacuo do?" Dean looked over at Cas who scoffed lightly at the question.

"It usually buries itself in a space and remains dormant for a long while. Since it has a direct connection to the Void it gives off a horrible energy and as it rests the space around it slowly corrupts itself. If it's a location that can be abandoned it will be, if the vacuo lives beneath a home, for example, the family that lives above it will slowly lose its mind. It commonly ends with suicide, homicide, or both."

"Oh…" Dean furrowed his brow and looked back at the sphere, "So we'll be dealing with one of those, that's fun."

"Oh yeah, they're incredible. Hard to kill too, they run away more often than they stick around to fight you."

Sam and Castiel paired up to tap it next, the same location flickered to life though Sam and Castiel weren't doing much of anything.

_Cas looked over at Sam and shrugged, "Looks like it's you and me this time."_

" _Find the others or the void monster first?" Sam smirked, it was all a routine and in general they knew the procedures. "I don't see any copies of us so we're not next to anyone important."_

" _Doesn't look that way," Cas started walking down the hallway, it was very plain and pale, each door they passed looked the same and after a short walk they realized that the place was abandoned. "Whatever world this is it isn't very lively…"_

" _Doesn't matter, right? Void monsters need to be taken out whether or not the dimension is occupied."_

" _Yes…" Castiel trailed his hand along the wall, "But this one seems… strange. I've witnessed it before. I hope I'm wrong but we might be dealing with a vacuo." The moment the words left his mouth the building made the worst kind of cracking noise and everything seemed to sink toward the center of the hall. Castiel scrunched up his face a bit and looked at Sam, "If we are it'll be in the basement, let's go."_

" _Right."_

"Okay," Sam looked at Cas with a chuckle, "Note to us, if we ever end up in a hallway that looks like that we just have to head to the basement."

Castiel laughed softly and nodded, he had to admit, going to Futurum may not have given them much in terms of their final destiny but they were getting some useful information. "I hope we remember all of this if any of it happens."

"Shouldn't this sphere show us reacting to the scene as if we'd already seen it about to happen?" Jet raised an eyebrow as he gestured toward the large sphere, "I mean, we're seeing this stuff, if what we see here really comes to pass shouldn't it be showing us going 'Oh my god remember this hallway from the sphere in Futurum' or something?"

"Don't question space-time crap, Jet." Dean smirked and gave him a nudge with his elbow, "Let's just assume Futurum doesn't update the new future immediately."

"Fair enough." Jet shrugged and looked to Sam as he nodded toward the sphere, "You and me, then."

The first thing they witnessed was a massive, empty room.

_Jet looked around, taking slow steps as he turned in circles, his eyes darted left and right as he took in the surrounding area. Though it was vast he could see the corners of it, nothing inside but him and a single door leading out. It was up a flight of metal-wire stairs that didn't quite look as safe as he would hope. The room was quiet, the only sound they could hear was the echo of Jet's footsteps. "Hello? Anyone there?" He called out after a moment; his voice was hesitant and nervous._

_A low rumble faded in from below and in the following seconds the room started to shake, the floor broke apart in the center and a long, thunderous crack crawled all the way to the walls. Jet stumbled back and turned toward the shitty staircase. "Son of a bitch!" He cursed as he bolted, the center of the room caving in slightly, like a swell in the ocean._

Jet grinned at Dean, "See? Monster magnet, right here." He tapped his own chest with his thumb, like it were some prize winning feat.

_Everything trembled as a large, carnivorous mouth opened through the surface, gnashing and groaning obscenely. Jet's foot fell through the crumbling floor and he found himself on his knees. "Fuck!" Another curse escaping him as he yanked his foot free and scrambled forward to get up again. The vacuo's mouth flickered for a second before a wave of translucent film shot out; it curved over the whole room and made a dome around the both of them. Jet covered his head and intended to just run through it but that didn't go quite the way he'd planned; the mess caught him like a net and bounced him back like rubber. He grunted after his back hit the floor, eyes squeezed shut and mouth pulled tight in a grimace._

" _Fuck." He muttered again, sitting up and going back to touch the force field, it stretched with his hand but not very much and it didn't look like it'd break from a beating. Not that that stopped him, Jet pounded against it repeatedly, kicking, punching, slamming himself into it but nothing worked. "C'mon! Give!" He snarled and pushed against it as hard as he could until his feet slipped and his knees met the floor again. He shouted in frustration and dropped his head against the nearly invisible surface in front of him._

Castiel curled his lips in and nodded slowly, "Vacuo can also do that once; it's part of them so it doesn't get sucked into their vacuum as they slowly increase pressure. It's a way to trap creatures and force them to go down with the immediate area."

Jet tapped his fingers on his thigh agitatedly, as much as he hated the thought of all the stupid shit that might happen to him in the near future he managed to stay calm about it. He'd nearly been taken down by the anima a while back but the others managed to get to him in time, he wasn't too worried. Sure, he was worried but not to the point it'd drive him insane. There were a lot of if's and maybe's about future events, what led to what and so forth, he couldn't tie himself up with worrying about it. Besides, vacuo force fields were probably breakable via magic or super powered Deans. "What I'm getting from Futurum is 'watch the fuck out.'"

Sam chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I guess so. You scared?"

"I think we all are, Sam." Cas walked over to the sphere, "We should move on." He placed his hand over the surface and immediately it flashed, several times and far brighter than the others.


	62. Futurum: Whole Lot of Nothing

**Futurum: Part 3**

_Castiel stood in silence, his eyes fixed on the statue of an epic battle frozen in time. A priest of the faith perched crystalized with a smile on his face, a face that Castiel knew too well. There were large piles of crystalized dust, some chunks in the mix that looked like limbs, all layered around his feet. Cas slowly stepped forward, his hand reaching to touch Dean's skin, it was cold and as solid as stone. He retracted his hand and held it close to his chest, pain etched into his heart and carved into his features as another approached him from behind._

" _Let's go, Cas." It was Dean, living breathing and perfectly fine. "We can't do anything here."_

" _You're right, this is long over." Castiel shook his head and turned away with his partner, "I just can't imagine what that Castiel must have been feeling."_

" _I think you know." Dean kissed his cheek and took his hand._

Castiel looked over at Dean curiously, "I think… that was where the original timeline became corrupted, where they lost you."

"Wow," Dean huffed out a laugh and scratched the back of his head, "I nearly had a heart attack there, I thought that was me."

"Thankfully it wasn't," Sam smiled at him tiredly, Futurum was starting to get to him but he wanted to see the last of the visions, to see what would happen or what he should look out for. Maybe seeing the future wasn't a great plan. "My question though is why does it react stronger to Cas?"

"Who knows?" Dean smiled over at Castiel, "He's a pretty special guy."

"Stop," Cas tried to appear stoic about it but his cheeks lit up at the compliment.

Dean followed Castiel's touch the next time, again it flashed brighter than before but this time sphere flickered and made some sort of groaning noise as the light faded. The scene started to unfold as any of the others, the image was blurry at first and it even seemed small. Then the sphere expanded, the area surrounded them at first like a 3D, virtual reality movie, they could see everything like a hologram.

"Whoa…" Jet looked over at Cas and Dean, "What the fuck did you guys do?"

"I… I'm not sure, I assume it's supposed to do this-" Cas was in the middle of saying when suddenly everything shook like it'd been jolted from its supporting pillar. No one moved or spoke, they just looked at one another, waiting for something to happen again. For several seconds nothing did, they slowly exhaled, bodies relaxing.

"I don't like this." Jet was the first to say anything before the ground gave away entirely, all four were sucked down but not through a ground tunnel or anything like what they'd been expecting. The world around them flashed by like a slow shutter speed camera taking pictures of moving traffic, Castiel held onto Dean instinctively but they weren't torn away from one another. It felt as though they'd gone through a wicked waterslide when they reached the end, smooth, twisting, and increased momentum before tumbling out.

No one had a graceful landing; Castiel would've been closest except Dean had latched onto him for dear life so they ended up in a heap on the ground. Cas grunted a little and opened his eyes to see the weight on his chest was his partner, clinging as tightly as he could. "We're okay," Cas whispered to him softly and Dean's head shot up like lightning.

"Uh…" his cheeks flushed and he sat upright, "Yeah, of course, right, sorry."

"No problem," Castiel pushed himself up and looked just in time to see a wall burst open. He shielded himself from flying debris but it passed through him like he wasn't even there. "What the…?"

"No idea." Dean stood up and looked over to where Sam and Jet had landed, a similar situation to himself and Castiel except Jet was the one holding onto Sam.  _'Guess I shouldn't be surprised.'_  Dean thought with a smirk, "You two gonna lay there all day or what?"

"Thinking about it." Jet chuckled as Sam shuffled to his feet.

"Where are we?" Sam looked at the broken wall and flinched when a blastwave crashed through it again.

" _You think you'll get away with this!?"_ Dean's voice snarled from beyond the destruction, an echoing and multi-toned laugh reverberating as a response.

" _We already have, priest. Your beloved is slowly draining away, the Void is awake and there's nothing you can do about it."_

The group ran to the hole in the wall, no questions asked. They weren't particularly worried; the only thing they seemed to be able to touch was the ground anyway. Dean nudged Cas as they peered inside, "Who am I fighting there?"

"I… I think those might be the Celestials… but not the ones I know, from the other timeline?" He looked over at Sam who had read more of the journal than he'd had the chance to.

"By definition yeah, that's gotta be them." Sam furrowed his brow and reached behind him, the journal tucked into the back of his pants under his sweater. He started to rifle through it again, looking for the entry that had brought up the difference in the first place, "The celestials that the other group knew looked something like these guys did." He muttered, hoping he'd find something similar to the last entry, something explain more of what was happening. "Dean's fighting the celestials, if this is the other timeline then Castiel's unconscious and Jet and I are getting him out of here. I think this is where we lose him…"

Cas wanted nothing more than to turn his gaze away, stop looking and get the hell out of there. And he would have, too, if it weren't for the nagging thought in his mind; 'what if you need this later. What if you need to know something about this to save Dean from the same fate?' And so he fixed his gaze, mouth pulled tight and chest aching as he watched a version of his partner go toe to toe with three god-like beings. The destruction around them was still terrifying, the sounds were very real and though they knew they couldn't be hit by anything they still flinched when a wall blew open nearby. Dean put an arm around Castiel's shoulders and held tightly, he wasn't always aware of people's moods or what they needed but his connection to Cas told him enough.

_Dean crashed into the ground, air knocked from his lungs as he struggled to stand again. The celestials swooped in at blinding speeds, they swarmed him like locusts, lashing out and trying to tear him apart. Loud, echoing laughter seared his ears and brought a gagged feeling to his throat. Dean materialized his weapon from his coat and with as much force as he could muster swatted the monstrosities aside. He grunted and forced himself upright; his breathing came in short, gargled bursts. "You're wrong," he grinned at the beings as they regained their orientation. "If there's anything I've learned with them, my family, my loved ones, it's that there's always something you can do."_

_The celestials stared at him long and hard, "He's bluffing." One said with a laugh, "He has nothing more to do, these are his final breaths."_

_Dean looked up at them, blood matted on his face, dripping down his chin and all over his body. He was physically broken, skin torn open and bleeding out, and still he smiled. "I guess they kind of are my last words, huh? Well let's see what else I can do." His eyes started to glow, the light growing brighter and more intense as a whirlwind started around him. "Can you guess what my partner taught me?"_

Castiel's eyes widened, "He's doing an energy transfer."

"How do you do that?" Dean looked at him, the pressure in the room slowly weighing down on them.

"And is it supposed to be this dramatic?" Jet had to shout over the gust of wind as it picked up.

"No," Cas yelled back, a quick shake of his head as his face tensed, "He's using all of it."

A wave of sound and motion crashed into them, it deafened the area to only a high pitched whine in their ears.

_Dean stared down the celestials, everything felt like slow motion as they charged him, his expression faltering for only a second, just one moment of weakness for him to whisper an apology that rang loud in the audience's minds. "I'm sorry, Castiel."_

_The light that had gathered inside him flickered and in the silence, past the rush of the monsters closing in, there was a moment of peace. Dean smiled, his gaze soft and accepting of his fate, he didn't flinch as the light exploded out of him. Everything in its wake engulfed in crystal, frozen where it stood. The celestials, midair when it connected with them, crashed into the ground and shattered on impact. Their screams echoed as hollow bodies broke, nothing left but pieces and the lasting screech. Dean didn't move again, his body forever in position, facing off against something he never could have survived and all of it with a smile._

Castiel couldn't look away, his heart pounded hard in his ears. That vision, that display, it was nothing like the others, they weren't involved they were just watching. They were thrown right into that one, standing there, experiencing it all around them instead of peering through a looking glass. He didn't stop himself when his legs moved and carried him to the site. His feet nudged the crystal piles but he didn't care, his hand trembled when he reached up to touch Dean's face. It was so cold.

"Cas," Dean, the current one, tried to get his attention but Castiel wasn't quite there.

"There's an exit," Sam pointed behind them, a single doorway in the middle of space that had no business actually being there. "We should go."

Dean nodded and walked up behind Cas, he placed a hand gently on his partner's shoulder. "Let's go Cas, we can't do anything here."

"You're right this…" Castiel trailed off and furrowed his brow.

"Is long over." Jet finished for him, "We just lived one of those visions, did you guys notice that?"

Cas looked at Dean, his expression tightly wound, "Did… you notice it?"

"No," Dean admitted and rubbed the back of his neck, "I got a little caught up in the moment."

"Let's talk about it back in Futurum," Sam said as he hurried to the exit, "This place gives me the creeps."

No one argued and followed him, there was no problem as they exited and the sphere glowed brightly as if it were about to show something. Soon the light died down and they stood in the silence of the world again, nothing special happening, nothing ominous and about to happen. They stood quietly as they let it sink in.

"It just happens, we don't even realize it." Jet muttered as he folded his arms over his chest, eyes cast down and lips pursed together in thought. "Kind of weird."

"Not really," Castiel shook his head and turned to Jet a little more fully, "Seeing a vision of it is one thing but it's entirely different to be there. There will be so many other things going through our minds at the times of the visions, for example Dean will be face to face with his father, he won't be saying 'I saw this in a vision!'"

"Fair enough." Jet smirked at him and then nodded toward the sphere, "So we gonna check out the rest of them before we talk about it?"

"Right," Castiel went to touch it again but nothing happened that time. He scrunched his nose and tapped it again, still nothing. "Okay… I think we may have over stayed our welcome…"

"I think it's because the visions connected to you have already come and gone, it has nothing more to show you." Sam offered the best explanation that came to mind.

Dean shrugged and looked at them all, "Okay so we got some info to work with here, right? Jet gets into a lot of trouble, we see mom and dad again, and… some stuff about a monster world."

"Yeah that doesn't sound as helpful as you think." Sam frowned and rubbed his forehead tiredly, "This is starting to piss me off. Why did we even come here? To get information but none of it useful!" He kicked a rock that hardly moved, the wince on his face was more than enough information to know what had happened there.

"Some of it is," Castiel tried to reassure him while trying to ignore the same despairing feeling. "We know your parents are alive, that they're fighting and we can find them. We know that we'll face a vacuo and can plan for it. And we know to watch out for one another, as we always have, but this time we'll focus a bit on Jet's well-being. We have plenty to work with; just not a whole lot is helpful to the big picture." He looked over at Dean who shook his head, he had little to add. "We should read more about the journal; see what we can get from it."

"The celestials are the things that attacked me in the last vision, right?" Dean took on a similar stance to Jet's thoughtful pose; Cas could tell they'd been around each other far too often. "We know that they're probably the cause of opening the Void, you think if we can find the location that this Dean went down we can figure it all out?"

"I think it's time we visited the celestials that  _we_  know." Sam muttered as determination welled inside him, his eyes darting up to meet each of the others'.

"That sounds like a plan I could get behind, who else thinks so?" It wasn't a surprise that Jet was the first to agree but it made Dean smile all the same.

"That's the next move then, c'mon let's get out of this place."


	63. In Between: Demanding Answers

**In Between**

Castiel walked up the familiar steps and expected to see the three celestials in their formation as per usual, except they weren't. In fact the illusory wall was gone entirely. Three figures emerged before them, still dressed in the robes and garments, faces hidden as always but their sizes were much smaller than they'd ever been. They were the same size as the adventurers entering their realm. Castiel furrowed his brow as he came closer, he could remember seeing them for the first time, he'd heard their voices and felt their presence but it was so much bigger back then. When had they gotten so small?

The center being looked up slowly from where he was perched, a resting position between the other two. He huffed out a laugh and shook his head, "I suppose I should have seen this one coming." The voice was oddly similar to Castiel's and they all pieced it together pretty quickly. All three of the celestials pulled the robes from their bodies and dropped the garments to the floor. Three recognizable faces gazed up at them, a Sam, a Jet, and a very pale and sick Castiel.

"Surprise," the celestial Sam exclaimed dryly, a forced smile on his face. "You probably knew it was us for a while, didn't you?"

"I'm a little surprised." Jet raised his hand with a smirk.

"Why are you posing as celestial beings?" Castiel demanded of them, pushing past the pleasantries and useless questions. "From the journal that you gave to us we know what they were supposed to look like, what they were supposed to be is nothing like what you three have been."

"It's close enough," the other Sam shrugged and wandered a bit closer; he wasn't scared of them or their questions. "We told you things you needed to know, we put you through the training you needed to become a full fledged priest, I even offered my journal to you."

"We didn't try to kill you, either." The celestial Jet pointed out and his Sam nodded to him in agreement.

"But why didn't you just tell me?" Cas felt his voice shake a little; he was angry, confused, and worried about so many things that were going to happen at some point in his future.

"Until Dean was ready for you you hadn't seen other versions of yourself, or him. How could we just say it?" Cas' alternate self studied them with a sad look to his face. "Too many things could have gone wrong, what matters right now is that you're here together and you're stronger than we were."

Castiel was about to protest again but Dean placed a hand on his shoulder, "Cas, look at him, he's not pretending anymore." Cas stiffened at first but listened to his partner and took in the sight of his counterpart; he really didn't look well.

"If it was better we didn't know then why did you come out to us now?" Sam continued the questions; his curiosity would always come out when it burned in him regardless of the situation.

"Because Cas can't take in anymore." The other Sam explained and observed his old friend from where he stood. "Every time you visit us he gets weaker. He lost the ability to speak to your minds already and holding up the illusion of being magnificent celestial phenomenon isn't easy."

They turned to look at the tired Cas who didn't flinch under their gaze; all he did was watch Dean with a familiar intensity. Dean knew it too well, he'd felt it the first time he saw Castiel in their town, sitting on top of that statue for some time. It was the look that Cas held when he missed Dean, when he was seeing what he thought to be a ghost or specter in his head. "Are you alright?" Dean asked after a moment, he knew the pain that Castiel could feel from losing him and it hurt him to know how much it hurt Cas.

At first it was quiet and as Dean took a few steps closer the other Castiel turned his head and covered his eyes, "I'm sorry," he rasped as his face tightened and jaw clenched, "it's hard to see you when you know it's me." His voice was so terribly meek and shaky it broke Dean's heart to hear it, they were all crushed at the sound. Cas took a slow breath and composed himself before looking back at them, a far more calm expression on his face as he spoke, "I'm not going to be here for much longer so I suggest you ask your questions."

"What's…" Castiel tried to speak to his weaker counterpart but couldn't quite find the strength; it was scary to see himself that way. "What's happening to you? To all of us? We've gotten bits and pieces of the story but I feel we're missing something."

"Our timeline," The other Cas had to take another breath and stopped, he looked at his Sam for help and Sam nodded without having to exchange a word as to what to do or say.

"Our timeline was corrupted when we lost my brother," Sam explained to them as he reached down and took his Cas' hand, a supportive and unspoken move on his part. "Dean sacrificed himself to save us, to protect Castiel from any further harm. The celestials cursed Cas, his energy was draining away and he'd die if they weren't killed first. But three immortal beings against one man, despite him being a high priest of prophesy, there wasn't even a question who'd win. But he did it; he gave everything up for us.

The celestials had been leading us along, tricking us for our entire journey. They knew everything about the Void and what would happen if it were unsealed. They aimed to take over, to rule every world and reality and eventually harvest the souls as the worlds rotted away; waking the Void was their best plan because the monsters and creatures would do all of the work for them. Of course, as the prophecy of the Faith states, 'If the Void is woken then so shall the High Priests wake,' and so they did, and the celestials kept track of where the strongest team would come in. Once we were together they led us in circles and away from the important battles, we were so far off course that when we discovered our destinies the odds were stacked so high against us." Sam paused and took a moment to recall the scenario, his eyes looked distantly past the group before him.

"The worlds reset from the time of the last team's awakening, Jet and I watched the chaos from the mainline as we looked out for Cas' unconscious body. It was insane and we were so scared, nothing moved around us, we didn't age or need to eat or sleep anymore. We basically died there when Dean did and when Cas woke up…" Sam gave Castiel's hand a squeeze as the false celestial sighed and rubbed at his eyes with a free hand. "We moved here, Cas decided that if we were going to exist then we would do something with ourselves. You," Sam looked to the healthy Castiel, "were the one the timeline was reset to. When you became a High Priest and were nearly killed was the first time you heard us and that was the first time my Cas pretended to be a celestial. He'd never been assaulted by a demoni like you had been; the Dean from In Somniantes in our timeline had been killed by the Sam who was possessed."

"The Sam in your timeline didn't die?" Castiel looked at his other self curiously, the old pain from that memory in his head.

"He did," Cas' expression held more emotion than he'd shown the entire time they'd known of him. "I was the one who killed him, when the demoni in him killed Dean I lost it and my magic woke up. I couldn't find all the pieces."

Both Castiel's were quiet and the room followed in their silence until the other Sam continued. "What's happening now is that the resetting of the worlds is finalizing. This Castiel is supposed to have turned into your Castiel but he's still here, which means his power and his strength is being transferred over."

"What happens to him when it's transferred?" Dean asked worriedly, his gaze stuck to the pale face of what looked like his lover, what could very well someday be his lover.

"I'll disappear." Castiel replied with a smile as he closed his eyes, "And get to see my partner again."

"Why?" Dean demanded and stalked forward, "Why do you have to die? Why can't you keep your energy?"

"Because you'll have no chance of survival if he does." The other Sam stepped in Dean's way, his eyes flickering with a burden they all carried in them. "The Void has not reset and it's only gotten stronger, Cas' strength will be transferred and so will Dean's."

"How?"

"His energy went into Jet and I," Sam motioned to the abnormally quiet member of their trio, "Once it's gone we'll probably vanish too."

"Wait, he can do that?" Jet scoffed and looked at the others.

"Apparently," the false celestial Castiel shrugged and laughed a little, "I haven't met many other priests and the ones I have come in contact with I haven't seen die. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if we could spit glitter."

"That's not very funny," Castiel frowned at his other self who just shrugged.

"So Dean and Cas get a power boost, is what you're telling us?" Jet asked, he took a glance at his other self but didn't as much want to see what he looked like as the other two. "This whole thing's going to get a lot harder as we go along, are they at least going to stand a chance in this shitstorm?"

"We're hoping." The sickly Cas spoke up again as he rose to his feet slowly; it was hard to watch him take those awkward steps to his counterpart. "Your magic has been increasing and it's difficult to control for you, but once you have all of mine, you'll have the control you need to carry this through. No more overpowered blackouts or unknown energy surges, you'll be able to handle yourself again." He smiled and leaned forward to hug the ache away. They both wrapped their arms around the other, the former celestial chuckling as the other priest sifted through some confusion and frustration about the whole subject. "I don't think I need to tell you to cherish your time with him."

Castiel smiled in return and shook his head as his corrupted version pulled away. "No, but I'm strong enough, you don't have to do this."

"Our time is up, there's nothing more I can do now."

"You could live." Cas insisted and his counterpart just smiled. There was a moment that they shared, it was unsaid but there was an understanding between them. The one that Castiel would live for was already dead a million times over, his death would be a relief. Cas bit his lip and nodded, "I understand, thank you. Your sacrifice won't be in vain, I'll do everything in our power to take these bastards to the ground."

"I trust that you will." The other Cas looked at Dean momentarily and gave him a little wave, "You're a beautiful soul, Dean Winchester, don't ever let that change. And you two, Sam and Jet, take care of each other. I've seen what Futurum showed you, good luck." He finally looked at his old companions and his skin was nearly translucent in that moment as he stood in front of his other self, the last pieces of him transferring over. "I love you, I'll see you there."

"Bye Cas." The corrupted Sam and Jet waved and nodded respectively, tears held back as they'd probably had that conversation more than once.

"Later, man."

"Wait," Dean cracked but it wasn't enough to stop him and the other Castiel erupted in a burst of light, all of which disappeared in his Cas who stood completely still as the energy fused with him. "Cas!" Dean ran over to his partner and caught him before Cas managed to become even slightly aware that he was falling.

"I'm okay," he reassured though his eyes fluttered closed, "Just… gotta get used to it."

Dean was frantic over Cas' wavering consciousness but the other Sam touched his shoulder and smiled, "It's alright, once it settles he'll be better than ever."

Dean didn't want to think about it, to consider what would happen next. All three of these people, these incarnations of people he knew were going to die one by one. Castiel was gone, just like that in a flash of light he vanished. Sam and Jet were next. Dean looked to the ones he knew, his Sam and his Jet, they were fine, they would be okay, but not the ones posing as celestials. "Can't you just keep it?" Dean argued as he looked up at the Sam he knew was resigned to a fate that shouldn't have been his.

"No, I can't. If you die again that's it, that's the end of all of us. If  _you_ die again I know what happens to him," he pointed at Dean's Sam, "And I can tell you it's better that I give this to you now." Sam knelt down beside Dean and tears fell down his face, despite the smile and relief he showed. "It's nice to see you but I need to see  _my_  brother. You know that a different version of them isn't good enough, they aren't  _yours_. I'm sorry, Dean, I need… I need to give this to you."

"Just because they weren't born and raised in the same reality as you doesn't mean they aren't  _yours_." Dean replied and looked Sam directly in the eye, "They might have grown up different or away from you but what matters, where it all counts and comes down to, they are  _your family_. In every dimension." His expression softened and reached up to pull that Sam into a hug, "But I get it, you gotta do this so I'll… I'll let you go." Dean hugged him tighter and took a shaky breath; it took a lot for him to accept that, to say it out loud. "Every Dean loves you, Sammy."

Sam sniffled out a laugh and nodded but said nothing more, through his eyelids Dean noticed the flash of light and fell forward a little when there was no longer a body there to support his hug. He looked over at the last remaining member of the corrupted timeline, Jet stood on his own with a damaged expression as he stared at the space Sam used to be. "He didn't even say goodbye to you." Dean tried to sound light-hearted but it was too hard to think about, Sam was gone, a Sam, not his Sam but it still hurt. He believed what he'd said.

"He didn't want to." Jet shrugged and walked closer, he glanced at his other self who watched in the same sick silence that he'd been sitting in for nearly the entire exchange. "Sam told me he didn't want to hear it when I tried, that it wasn't over if I never did it. So I didn't."

Dean looked at him and really tried to see what Jet was feeling, who  _Jet_  was as he stood in front of him. "You're so different," Dean breathed through his grief, his arms still tight around Castiel who started to blink back to consciousness.

"Yeah, I guess the guy who said he'd never be tamed ended up more docile than anyone else." Jet chuckled at himself and gestured for Dean to stand up, "Put him down for a second."

Dean hesitated but listened; it was a dying man's wish. He locked eyes with the other version of his friend and felt his stomach churn as Jet leaned up to his shoulder and whispered in his ear; "Watch out for the one they call their master."

That was all he said before the other Jet vanished with the others. Dean felt his legs shake but he didn't budge, he couldn't have because Sam came forward to hug him and hold him up. Dean nestled into the embrace immediately and buried his face against his brother's shoulder, "Sam…" he exhaled shakily and tried to take a steady breath but it was anything but. Jet pulled Castiel up and brought him into the hug with the Winchester brothers. Dean felt a little faint just like Castiel had but he stayed conscious well enough, most of his strength came with the physical, not like Cas'.

They stayed that way for several minutes, they didn't want to face what would happen if they failed. The worlds would be destroyed but the idea of losing one another seemed like so much worse than anything else.


	64. Jar of Hearts: Where's Sam?

**In Between**

The team stayed in that place to take a short break, settle into their skins again and regroup mentally. A lot had been happening lately and they were entirely unsure of where to go or what to do next. It was clear they had to do something but it wasn't so easy to just  _go_ , they couldn't wander the mainline until something happened.

"Before the other Jet vanished," Dean started talking first and broke the silence they'd been holding for some time already, "he told me to watch out for the one they call master… do you guys know what that might mean?"

"I don't know," Castiel sighed and dropped down onto his butt right where the celestials had been standing since he'd met them. The space seemed so much smaller, maybe that had been magic too. Regardless he couldn't think of anything else to do but sit there, his legs extended in front of him and one foot rocking against the other in a childish attempt to figure something out. Cas leaned back onto his elbows and then let his back hit the floor, the ceiling was so plain and so were the walls. Nothing special about that space stuck out to him, at least not until a flickering started in his vision. Cas furrowed his brow and focused on it, in an instant he could see the mainline, he could see and almost feel other priests and if he thought about one in particular they came into focus.

He was speechless as he tried to control the strange sensation, it came easier than he thought, despite never having done it before his mind and body just seemed to  _know._  He assumed it was because of his corrupted self; there was magic he didn't learn in his head now. "Guys," Cas muttered as he slowly pushed himself upright again, "I can see the others, all of them, Michael and Gabriel and…" he shook his head with a huffed laugh, "This is how they did it… it's the location."

Dean stood at his side and waited a second, "I don't see anything."

"Focus." Castiel instructed, "You'll notice a strange tingle in your head, just focus on it and it should come to life for you."

Dean was still for several seconds but soon he was started and his eyes were wide with visions that Sam and Jet couldn't see. The two regular members of their team glanced at one another in a sort of 'oh well' gesture. "They're all fighting so hard…" Dean muttered and looked around through the different worlds. "This is nuts…"

"This is helpful," Castiel corrected him; "The mainline and all that connects the different worlds and realms are untouchable as long as the worlds remain intact. We can see into the worlds from here, we know which ones to head to first and what the biggest threats are."

"So what you're saying is that whatever you're seeing right now tells you how badly we're losing?" Jet chuckled and Sam slapped his arm for it.

"We're not losing, not yet." Cas frowned as he tried to look at different worlds, "Some of them are very… some of these worlds are gone, just like In Somniantes." He rubbed at his temple and shook his head, "The others are doing well, some are fighting to save the ones on the edge of falling." Castiel looked at Dean curiously and laughed a little, "You know it's funny, I travelled the mainline for so long on my own but it blocks you out from all of it. I think that's why we need other teams, we're not all capable of reaching the same dimensions and it would explain why I never ran into anyone else."

Dean smiled back at him and leaned over to kiss Cas' cheek, "You aren't alone anymore, does it matter why no one was there?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Cas kissed him back, "I feel like we can do this, like we'll be able to beat them."

"So we're sealing the Void again?" Jet asked with that one quirked eyebrow like he always seemed to do. "Or trying to kill all the monsters?"

"Whichever comes first, I suppose." Cas observed the room they stood in carefully, "Doesn't look like we'll be getting any more answers from here, we should get moving."

"Sounds like a done deal to me." Dean followed Castiel's footsteps and the three exited the world, leaving it empty behind them.

* * *

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 1**

Castiel flipped up the couch cushions and growled to himself, "Where is it?" He questioned quietly to the living room, "C'moooonn where is it?" A few more seconds of crawling on the floor and peering under the furniture passed before he sighed in frustration and shouted; "Dean!"

"What's up, babe?" Dean replied from the kitchen where he was preparing lunch, "Did Mike finally show?"

"No, have you seen my phone? I can't find it, I wanna see if he messaged me."

"Should I call it?"

"It's on silent."

"Ouch." Dean hummed to himself, his silence wasn't particularly comforting for Cas but it was nice that he sort of cared. Castiel looked up and watched his husband trot out the door; he got up and followed to the window to see what Dean could possibly be up to. The door to the Impala opened and the brunet crawled inside and leaned over to the passenger seat where Cas usually sat. He was only ducked down for a moment and before Cas knew it Dean lifted up the cellphone toward the windshield for him to see. The gesture made him smile for two reasons, the first obviously meant for the recovery of his phone, the second was because Dean had no real reason to think Cas would go to look but he acted as though it were the most natural course for Castiel to take.

As soon as Dean came inside Cas leapt onto him with a hug and kiss, "Thank you so much! Oh my god I can't believe I left it in the car."

"Pretty sure it fell out of your pocket last night after we-"

Cas cut him off with another kiss and bit his lip, "Careful now," he giggled and snatched his phone from Dean's hand, "It's kinda cold but that's okay." He turned on the screen but saw no messages or anything, well at least not from Michael. There were a few from Charlie from the night before and one from Jet telling him to get Dean to text him back because Dean was a lazy fuck. Jet's words, not his. "Michael hasn't said anything…" Cas frowned and sat down on the couch, "I think I'll call him."

Dean shrugged and sat next to him, "I don't know, Michael's allowed to be late for stuff once in a while."

"Yeah but he  _doesn't_. I'm still calling." Cas hit the speed-dial button and waited until it rang all the way to his voicemail.

" _This is Michael Novak, I'm away from the phone right now so please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I'll get back to you." –beep-_

"Hey Mike, it's me, uhmm… you said you were coming by around noon and I just wanted to call and check in, it's already quarter to one and you haven't messaged me or anything. Maybe I got the day wrong? I don't know just call me back when you get the chance, okay?" He hung up and chewed on the inside of his cheek, his eyes fixed on his phone as it dimmed and turned off again.

"Cas?" Dean sounded worried as he leaned around a bit to see his face better.

"Hm?" Cas hummed, barley looking up.

"You okay?"

"He always answers…" He muttered and turned his head to see Dean, his concern evident in his face. "Michael never ignores a call from me so… do you think he's okay?"

"Surprise meeting maybe," Dean shrugged, he sounded so calm, casual like it was natural for that kind of thing. And maybe it was but not for Michael. "Don't worry so much, it's Michael, he'll be fine."

"I guess, but people have been disappearing."

"And I reiterate; it's Michael. If there's anyone we should have some faith in it's him, don't you think?"

"You're right." Cas sighed and rested against Dean with a smile spreading over his lips, "So what's for lunch?"

Dean opened his mouth to answer but a loud crash upstairs caught their attention and moments later there was a ruckus outside. Castiel didn't skip a beat, he looked at Dean and pointed toward the door, "You check outside, I'll look upstairs?"

"I'm not totally comfortable letting you do that on your own but-"

"Oh stop with your chauvinism, I'm your husband not a baby." Cas hurried up the stairs and Dean had no other choice but to listen or face certain punishments he didn't want to think about Cas making up.

Castiel was careful to just peer into the hall, he saw the closet door open and someone was sitting on the ground with several items scattered around on the ground beside him. There was another pair of feet that took a step around the door and Cas couldn't believe what he was seeing – it was  _him_  but in some crazy trench coat and a badass outfit. Cas ducked down again and took a deep breath to settle him; aliens maybe? Monsters or something? Dean had him watching  _way_  too many movies.

"It's alright, we're friendly." He heard his own voice but it wasn't him speaking, Cas swallowed nervously and peeked up to see this strange version of him standing there, just standing in his hallway like it was no big deal.

"You're… you look like me." Cas sputtered as he slowly took the last few steps up to the top of the second floor, his heart pounded heavily in his chest. "What are you?"

"My name is Castiel Winchester, I –"

"Wait, time traveller!" Cas interrupted excitedly, his face taking on the look of astonishment more than fear. "Right? You're from the future? Is that Dean?" He tried to lean around to see who was sitting just on the other side of the closet door but he couldn't, not until the other guy pushed himself up.

"Nope, sorry sunshine." It was Jet, or a different Jet; he looked different somehow anyway.

"So… are you future Jet? Why are you with future Jet?" Cas pointed between the two of them as he addressed his trench coat wearing self.

The two looked at one another and Jet shrugged with a laugh. The 'future' Cas shook his head and looked back toward him as he contemplated running back down the stairs. "We're not from the future, per se. It's a different dimension, like an alternate reality to yours."

"Whoa." Cas breathed and fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve, "So… what do you want then? We didn't make enough lunch for so many people, though I guess since Michael didn't show you could have his."

"That's not why we're here, there's a bit of an explanation to it all and I think-"

"Cas!" Dean called from downstairs, "Cas I think somethin' weird's going on."

Castiel hesitated but turned to look down the stairs to see two Deans side by side, "Yeah… I'm getting some of that too, there's a Cas and Jet up here."

The two Dean's glanced at one another and then back up the stairs, "We could have a foursome."

"Which one of you assholes suggested that?" The trench-coated Cas marched over to the top of the stairs next to his counterpart and both Dean's quick pointed to the other.

"It was him."

"I'll shoot both of you." Cas sneered at them before noticing something, "Where's Sam?"

"He's not up there with you?" Priest Dean frowned.

"He said a 'Cas and a Jet,'" Castiel reminded him and pinched his forehead a little, "There's always something."

Jet cleared his throat a little to get at least both Castiel's looking at him but he only addressed the domestic one, "Has anything weird been happening around town at all?"

"Weird how? Like strange duplicates of people?" Cas chuckled and glanced at his other self, "Because some of that's been happening."

"No –I mean sort of like that. Anything else?"

"People have been disappearing," Dean pointed out, "I mean it's only been a day or two but everywhere I go someone's asking 'have you seen so and so?'"

Cas, Dean and Jet looked to one another, "That's something," Jet shrugged, "Where's your version of Sam?"

The local Dean walked up the stairs to be next to his husband, as well as to look at this other Jet a little more strongly, "Why do you want to know where my brother is?"

"Because when we appear we tend to be around significant people, Sam's one of them." The Dean downstairs explained as casually as he could, as if it weren't totally weird for other worldly people to show up and ask for your little brother.

"He's on a trip, I think they're in Egypt right now." Cas replied a little unsure of himself, "Should I try calling? This is to find a lost part of your… weird little group?"

"We're not that weird but if you wouldn't mind." Priest Castiel smiled like finding a lost friend was something they did fairly often.

Cas fished his phone from his pocket again and dialed Gabriel's long-distance number, the moment he heard a click a bit of laughter he started to speak, "Gabe?"

" _Hey Cassy, what's up?"_

"Hey I was just calling to see if anything weird happened over there like you found a doppelganger of Sam or something?"

Gabriel's laughter was loud enough for all of Cas' company to hear it.  _"No I don't think that I have."_

"Okay well if you do could you call me back?"

" _Sure thing."_

"Thanks, have fun out there." Castiel let the conversation end and looked up at the other guys, "That'd be a no but I do look crazy now, thank you."

"Well we have to find him." Jet moved past them and down the stairs to where his Dean was still waiting.

"Hold on, Jet." Dean caught his arm and knew exactly what kind of look he'd be getting for it. "We don't know what's going to be lurking in this place, this shit tends to go after us or the relevant people in the world."

"Exactly why we have to find Sam, I don't know if you noticed but those things are crazy strong and Sam and I didn't get power boosts." Jet's demeanor was stiff and he looked like he meant to make more of a deal of it but he stopped, everyone in their group cared about Sam. Dean was Sam's older brother; Cas had watched him die before and had a short history with him. And Jet… well Jet was in love with him, to explain it in the most simple of terms. "What do you want to do?"

"I think we should leave Cas here with these guys, you and I'll go look for Sam." Dean smiled at him as Jet started to grin.

"Deal, if Cas is okay with it."

"It sounds fine," Castiel descended the stairs with their hosts, the local couple looking like they felt entirely out of place in their own home. "Find Sam and get back here, I'll look after these two."

"We'll make it quick." Dean pulled Cas forward and locked lips with him. They didn't do that often enough, it still felt so amazing each time they managed to do it. And each time they did Cas melted just a little bit more, he was always so hard to thaw but Dean thought that maybe if he made it feel natural enough Cas wouldn't second-guess him. "I love you." He whispered and smiled at the blush that tinted Castiel's cheeks, it made him so happy to know Cas could still feel that way after all he'd been through.

"I love you too, stay safe."

Dean grinned and walked away with Jet, off to find Sam. It was the first time separating on purpose like that, Dean had been by Castiel's side to fight take care of the Void problems but now he felt confident enough to do it on his own. He reached back and pulled the little rod from his coat, flipping it around in his hand until it formed around his forearm like a piece of armour. He wanted it accessible just in case something happened.


	65. Jar of Hearts: Underground

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 2**

Sam found himself on his back staring at a strangely lit ceiling above him. It was damp, the area smelled funny and Sam was pretty damn sure he was laying on something wet. He slowly sat up, his eyes attempted to adjust to the dim lighting around him but it took him a little while. It sounded hollow around him and as he took in the sights he realized he was in some sort of tunnel.

He stood up and tried to reorient himself, since Dean and Cas had a bit more power the transfer to the new world was much more out of control than usual. He didn't mind so much but he would've liked a softer landing.

What his came to focus on his surroundings properly he saw that it was definitely a tunnel and it had been roughly carved out of stone with some strange luminescent slime that brought the light. It wasn't very well lit but it was enough for him to see, and for that he was grateful. Sam could barely feel a draft and the air felt stale, like he were deep underground. The thought of that wasn't appealing to him but he had no way of just backtracking and getting out, he'd have to find his way.

Sam didn't waste any more time he started walking and quickly found himself at a crossroad, there were at least four other different directions to go not including the path he'd come from. Two of them were immediately declining while the others seemed to be relatively straight, he didn't want to go any further down so he enie-meenie-miney-moed his way through the flat passages. After several yards however he find himself on a steep slope going down. It made him angry but his stubbornness rose and he stuck to his path.

As he walked he thought to himself, about him and Dean, how far they'd come since it all began, where they'd come from. His parents were around there somewhere; his mom and dad were roaming the mainline and taking out the Void like Dean, like Castiel. But Sam wasn't a high priest, he didn't have any special powers or abilities, he just had a weak immune system that made him sick more often than not. It was kind of unfair but what could he do? He couldn't just become a priest and start fighting off the monsters, he was just a man who found himself in the strangest situations and the worst kinds of trouble.

But he didn't care. He had everything he wanted with him, he had a family that cared about him and looked out for him and needed him. Hell, someone had fallen in love with him; Sam never thought it was possible since he'd gotten sick. But there he was, healthy, on an adventure, and in love with his brother's best friend –  _his_ best friend. Sam smiled to himself as he made his way down, he could picture Jet's face when they realized he was missing, how he'd demand they 'go find Sam right now.' And then Dean would completely agree and Cas would be saying something like 'what are we waiting for.' He wasn't worried; his family was looking for him.

A muffled and strained groan echoed ahead and at first Sam stopped to try and make it out, it sounded like someone was struggling. But it could have easily been some sort of monster as well; he had no way of knowing. Sam weighed his options quickly but the cry came again and he couldn't stay put knowing someone might be in trouble. He darted down the passage as quietly as he could, just in case it really was some kind of monster instead.

As he got closer he realized that the tunnel opened up to some sort of larger space so he pinned himself to the wall and crept closer. Sam ran his hand through his hair to get it out of his face, he really needed a haircut and the short hair over the forehead look was starting to hurt his eyes. He inched closer to the room and peered inside; the first thing he noticed was some strange worm-centipede-like thing and it was massive, at least the size of the tunnels he was crawling through. That was probably the creature responsible for such an elaborate labyrinth and he dared not move another inch.

Sam observed the room from his hiding spot, which wasn't such a great hiding spot but who was paying attention to that? The room was massive and filled with weird little sacs of the same slime he'd found on the walls, and they were filled with something. He squinted at the far away ones then turned his attention to the closer piles and realized that there were people inside them.

He remained frozen as he watched the thing spit up more of that weird ooze onto a sac that was still moving slightly. The monster finished up and in a about a minute disappeared into another tunnel. Sam waited a moment until he couldn't hear it anymore and bolted for the imprisoned person that still fought against his cage. "I'll get you out, hold on." He hissed quietly and found a rock that looked sharp enough to use.

It took a bit of cutting but he managed to rip open the hardened outer casing and reached inside, the person grasped his arms and held on tight as Sam dragged him. It took a bit of effort but once he'd gotten the captive far enough out there was no longer any friction holding him inside and they both fell. The dark haired male coughed and sputtered out some of the slime, gasping for air desperately until he managed to get enough to calm down.

"Are you alright?" Sam tried to help the guy up and they both finally looked at each other. "Michael?"

"Sam?" Michael breathed heavily and stumbled up to his feet with Sam's assistance, "How… why are you… what's going on? I thought you were with Gabriel on your trip?" His eyes widened with what Sam saw as complete horror, "Gabriel's not here is he?"

"Uhm, no." He smiled sheepishly, "I'll explain later, for now we gotta get out of here, that thing's crawling around and I don't like the look of it." Michael didn't argue and so they chose the opposite tunnel from where the monster had gone. The two hurried along until they felt like they were alone again and couldn't hear anything other than a vaguely echoing cavern. Michael started to wipe off his suit once they'd stopped to take a break, his eyes were wide as he glanced back down the passage.

"What the hell is going on?" He managed to speak though his tongue was tied. "Where's Gabriel?"

"I wasn't with him." Sam shook his head and flicked the goo off his arms from pulling Michael free. "Like I said it's a long story but to sum it up I'm from a different dimension, I'm not the same Sam that you know." He tried to smile like it was normal but he knew how crazy it sounded, so many times they looked insane already. He wasn't sure what Michael's reaction would be but when he saw the look of sadness come across the other man's face, Sam didn't know what to do. Michael even hid that look of concern with a smile and nod, like it made complete sense to him and that might have even been a normal occurrence.

"Good, then at least I know Gabriel's safe. Let's keep moving, I should probably try and help you get home." He had that sort of big brother tone that Sam recognized immediately and all expression dropped out of his face.

"I'm serious."

"I'm sure you are, but we don't have time for the story right now, as you said." Sam took note; Michael was a smooth motherfucker. "Let's go." With that Michael took the lead, Sam felt irked by it but he couldn't blame Michael for the whole thing. If Cas, Dean, or Jet showed up spouting nonsense in a dangerous situation Sam would probably have done something similar. He liked to think so, anyway. Michael didn't want him to get hurt, especially with a supposed mental handicap.

"You take care of people often, don't you?" Sam asked a little distracted by Michael's sudden character trait.

Michael laughed softly, "Often enough, just when they need it." He looked back at Sam again, this time his eyes scanned over the young Winchester more systematically, seriously taking him in. "You really aren't the same, are you?"

"No," Sam smiled he knew Michael didn't fully buy it though. "What makes you say that now though?"

"I just don't get the same feeling, not to mention you look different."

"Are you really going to question me about it though? I mean a giant worm tried to eat you."

"It did eat me, it just spat me back out again." Michael shuddered and tried to shake off the feeling it gave him, "Trying not to think about it."

"Understandable." Sam chuckled and squinted as he tried to see ahead of them, "We should keep moving though, I don't want that thing to notice you're missing."

"Deal." Michael followed Sam's lead and fell in stride beside him. Sam took a second glance at Michael and had to admit the guy had some appeal to him. He had himself together, for the most part; he was smart enough to pick inclining paths with a subtle breeze coming from them. They were looking for a way out after all so that was a bonus. He was handsome, well dressed, and he had an amicable personality but Sam already knew his type. Michael was great, but just not what Sam was looking for in a person, and that thought passed as he reminded himself what his type was.

Sam smiled at the recollection; he didn't have to look for someone anymore, a type or something silly like that. "What's with the face?" Michael had leaned around just a little to ask and Sam saw the expression, that look that older brothers got when they just  _knew_  something. Something particular like knowing a little brother had a crush on someone.

"Anyone ever tell you do make an amazing older brother, bad quirks and all?" Sam replied with a laugh.

"Sometimes. So, who is it?"

"Well I don't know if you know this one but his name's Jet." Sam shrugged and felt his face heat up, he didn't admit that very often it seemed.

"Jet, really?" Michael mused and smirked again, "So what's appealing about him?"

"You really want me to-"

"Yeah, I want to hear it."

Sam curled his lips into his mouth and bit at the lower one until he could come close to describing it. "There's a lot more to him than what you see. Each time I think I get him he surprises me. He makes me feel like there's nothing more important than me, he isn't scared to tell me when I'm wrong, he's strong enough to protect but vulnerable enough that he needs me. Jet makes me laugh, he can be an idiot but he's clever and good at planning." He smiled as he went through the list of qualities he liked in Jet as if he were just discovering them all over again. "Of course he's cute, too."

"Just cute?" Michael inquired innocently though Sam could see right through him.

"He can be cute, hot, sexy if he wants to. I like that, that I almost can't describe him as one thing."

"Sounds like love to me, makes me wonder if the Sam I know could describe Gabriel."

"Your Sam dates Gabriel?" Sam wondered briefly if he should have been keeping track of all the Sam and Gabriel partners he saw along the way. Hell, he hadn't even asked the corrupted timeline Sam and Jet if they were together, it wouldn't have made a difference if he knew who was dating who. But that did make him curious, "What about you? Who do you like?"

"Me?" Michael smiled and shook his head, eyes kept forward, "No, not me. I'm not interested in anyone."

"Why?"

"Well why should I? I haven't met anyone that makes me feel that way, the way you do about Jet. I'm waiting for that, I guess. Someone that makes me want to jump into action, to go out of my way to find them, call them, make them happy. Until almost a year ago I was dedicated to looking after my brothers but they've been doing so well, I might look soon."

"No rush," Sam smiled, remembering how he'd freaked out over just dancing with Jet a while back. "If you aren't ready then you aren't, but it's nice once you find that someone."

"I've noticed, my brother, Cas, lit up like nothing else when he found his partner." Michael grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "I thought it was just a  _him_  thing but hearing you talk… maybe it's possible for me too."

"It's possible, I didn't expect it to happen to me but… I love him, I don't want to think about not having him around in my life." The two shared a look and both smiled. "You'll find them."

"Thanks, Sam."


	66. Jar of Hearts: Do You Trust Me?

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 3**

Castiel sat quietly and watched the couple as they watched him, it was all very strange for them as they tried to decipher whether or not they thought he was real. "It's not a collective hallucination, we really are here." Castiel informed them for what felt like the thirtieth time.

"I know, I know," the other Cas tried to wave it off harmlessly, "I'm just… it's so weird to be looking at myself, I don't know what to say."

"Maybe more than nothing but nothing works for me too." Castiel was by far the most jaded of their group and speaking to people who were shocked with his presence was one of those things that just made him roll his eyes in every direction he could. He wasn't sure again why he stayed with them, instead of going to find Sam. It was probably because Sam might show up there on his own, but how often did good things happen that easily?

The couple exchanged a look and the priest sighed lightly. "I'm sorry," he spoke up again, "I've been doing this a long time and I tend to lose all ceremony with what I do."

"What do you do, exactly?" Dean furrowed his brow curiously, "You guys fall out of our closet and off our roof and look just like us, what are you here for?"

"To be fair Jet fell out of the closet and Dean fell off the roof, I came through just fine. And as per what we do, we fight monsters. Simply put, there are creatures invading different realities and we're on a mission to stop it."

"Where are they coming from?" Cas looked more excited than horrified.

"It's a place called the Void. It's everywhere but it's meant to be dormant, unmoving. Someone woke it up and the beings within started to spread out, if they were to succeed in devouring each dimension that'd be the end of us all. The entire universe that we know of would cease to exist and ultimately it'd belong to the beasts, not that it'd be sustained for very long." Castiel explained, unsure of whether or not the two listening really understood everything he'd been saying. "We're known as High Priests of the Faith."

"What's 'The Faith'?"

"Well you don't have much background knowledge of the worlds and the mainline that lies in between. I'm not even entirely sure of what 'The Faith' is but from what I've been told it's the final religion. All worlds and the gods and heavens that rule them are incorporated, all dimensions, realities, and timelines run on different versions of which gods are real and how things exist in relation to one another. It takes everything into the same universe and attempts to explain it. Within the Faith there are servants, the High Priests that work to balance the Mainline, which is a reality existing to hold all the realms together. When the worlds are unbalanced the Mainline is threatened and if the Mainline falls apart we're all dead like I explained."

"Is this Void place like The Faith's version of hell or something?" Dean asked next and Castiel shrugged in response.

"I suppose? It's not the same lore as the hell that the worlds know of, if that's what you mean." The priest took a sip of the coffee they'd made for him nearly an hour ago with some disdain for the coldness of it. Should've drank it faster. "In The Faith it's prophesied that when the Void wakes up so will all of the High Priests, and when the Void sleeps we'll be dormant along with it. I understand this to mean that we won't have any magic or powers to use once it's all over, not that we'll get sealed up too. But that's just a guess, I have no idea really."

"You haven't discussed this much with the others, have you?" Cas tilted his head just slightly and his priest counterpart had to chuckle at the motion. All of them seemed to do that at one point or another.

"No, I haven't. I suppose I'm a bit worried about it. We're all stressed out right now and I don't want to add a bunch of these philosophical questions. We can't answer them ourselves, all we can do is wait and see so why bother? It's inevitable; whatever happens at the end is out of our hands. My job will be completed once we stop the Void, that's all that the Faith really cares about."

"But your  _life_  doesn't get 'completed.'" Castiel argued furiously, "I don't like the way you talk about it. You love Dean, don't you?"

"I do." Cas eyed his mouthy self with some amusement but he'd learned not to take his alternate selves lightly. They had lived through their own lives and hurdles; they had things they could tell him.

"You're holding back. You love him but you don't say it often, you don't show him. You don't think it's worth it, that it might all end anyway, you'll get hurt somehow and you don't think you can handle the pain, whatever the reason I think it's just cowardice.  _Tell him_. Every chance you get, tell him you love him."

"I do tell him…" Cas couldn't quite recall the most recent occurrence but he knew he'd done it.

"Do it more. You're looking to the future, you can't wait until you get the chance to settle down and just live with him but I have news for you, you're living with him  _right now_. He's there with you, he cares about you, you spend all this time together but you waste it. You treat it like it's not worth anything, like it has to be in some house or you aren't 'together.'" Castiel leaned forward, his expression nothing short of viciously serious, "Every second with him matters."

"I know that." Priest Cas tried to argue but he felt his chest tighten.

"Then act like it. I could see it in your exchanges; I can hear it in how you talk. Dean means the world to you but he doesn't know that."

"He knows-"

"He's  _guessing._  Give him something solid, some proof."

Castiel took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, he was getting angry and emotional over it and it was stupid. But how stupid? Was he the one that was being an idiot, ignoring the fact that this other him was right? He hadn't been warm enough toward Dean, he held onto Dean when he felt weak, when he needed someone but was that enough? They were busy, they had to fulfill their destined purposes but that was just an excuse. Too busy was bullshit. They were never too busy to goof off, were they?

"It's strange," he said after a moment of silence fell around them all over again. "I've lived for so long now and yet… it doesn't feel long enough when I'm with him. You're right, I… I need to fix it." He glanced up at his other self who was smiling again, "I don't get why you started ragging on my relationship though…"

"You two look like us and I didn't like the reflection I was seeing. Dean and I have finally made it," Cas explained and his husband took his hand firmly, "it's taken so much effort for both of us and we worked so hard, I just can't stand seeing someone care so little. And if it's Dean that isn't being cared for… well I doubly can't stomach it."

Priest Castiel sighed with a smile and nodded, "You two are quite the couple, I have to say. I've run into many pairs of Dean and Castiel's, but I think you two are the most in love that I've seen."

"Thank you," Dean was the first to take pride in it. "I think you and your partner have some potential though, just gotta work through some stuff."

"Pfft, some is putting it lightly. But thank you."

* * *

Dean and Jet walked quietly for a little while as they kept an eye out for Sam, the area was as normal as any other neighbourhood so it made looking for suspicious things a bit easier. Anything odd and out of place would, in their heads, lead straight to Sam, their group wasn't the epitome of natural happenings. As they walked together Jet had to take a second and watch Dean, at least until his friend looked at him and he had to turn away.

"What's up, man?" Dean asked so casually Jet nearly forgot that they were in the middle of something important.

"Nothing really, just surprised at how much you've changed." He smirked as he watched the road ahead of them, "All of us are so different aren't we? The time we've spent doing this hasn't been that long but it feels like forever."

"Almost dying a lot will do that." Dean shrugged and huffed out a laugh, "And to be honest I don't even know how Cas has been keeping track of how long he's been doing this. He says centuries but we jump into different worlds where time is al weird and different days have passed at different times. Hell, none of us even get tired like we should."

Jet scrunched up his face and looked back at Dean again, this time a more incredulous expression dawned on his face. "No shit?" He laughed and ran his hand through his hair, "Didn't even notice… why though?"

"I… I think it's the mainline and jumping through portals and shit, it does stuff to you. Like, at first I know we got tired and hungry but I haven't needed to stop in a long while. If we rarely need to sleep then I'm even more confused as to how long it's been."

"Well it's not just a priest thing because Sam and I haven't needed anything either. Remember the first time you told me about Cas? Creepy dude on a statue for days straight? We might get to that point too."

Dean pouted, "But I don't want to be a creepy dude on a statue."

Jet snorted and slapped him on the back, "You're an idiot. But at any rate we should ask Cas how long it's been, feels like a year already."

"After getting the other Dean's power I have memories of their time together, it's kind of faint but they're there. It kinda adds to the time thing so now I feel like I've been at this even longer than that."

"Maybe Cas won't know either then?"

"Nah," Dean waved it off, "Cas is good with this sort of thing, I don't think he'd get confused."

"Yeah." Jet trailed off as his mind managed to get away with him; his fingers tapped the side of his thigh anxiously until he had to say something. "Dean…"

"Yeah?"

"You, uh… do you trust me?"

Dean frowned and looked at his best friend curiously, Jet wasn't the type to doubt like that so the fact that he  _was_  made Dean nervous. "Of course I do." He stopped and caught Jet's arm to make him do the same. "Why would you even think you had to ask me that?"

Jet was quiet for a few seconds and Dean thought for sure that the time went by differently because those seconds felt like minutes. "After what we saw in Futurum I just had to ask."

"You mean that vision of us fighting?" Dean asked incredulously and Jet nodded, "Man, that wasn't you in there. Whatever was going on it wasn't you and that doesn't even matter because I won't let it happen."

Jet tried to pull away but Dean was far too strong and didn't want him going anywhere, "How the hell could you stop it?"

"I just will." Dean was so serious and determined; it'd been a long time since Jet had seen him that way. "Jet, that Futurum ball of crap is just a guess as to what we might end up doing, it's not a certain and one hundred percent accurate truth. You're my best friend, man. You've been saving my ass from shit since I met you, with actual fights, with financial shit, and especially with Sam you've been incredible. You're the toughest, most loyal guy I know and I  _know_  that you would never do that shit on purpose."

Jet half smiled at him, "Thanks man."

Dean was pleased with that; Jet didn't always show when something bothered him so it was a relief for the other male to bring his troubles to the table like that. "Anytime, dude." They caught one another's forearm and pulled the other guy in for a quick hug. Jet happened to look at the ground behind Dean as he opened his eyes from the embrace and wasn't sure what he was seeing. The ground started to bulge and break, and as it swelled Jet heard an odd rumbling beneath them.

"MOVE!" He shouted and practically threw himself and Dean to the ground. They sprawled out together and scrambled as the pavement beneath where they'd been standing burst open and a massive worm-like monster leapt out.

"Holy shit!" Dean cursed and rolled onto his back as his weapon morphed around his hand into a sawed-off shotgun. He didn't get the chance to stand up so he aimed as the worm gurgled out some kind of wet snarl; it turned toward them and lunged. Several shots were fired directly into where the thing's face should have been; all it had was a hole with a ring of protrusions around it that Dean didn't care to analyze at that moment.

As he fired it gargled all over again but it didn't slow down. Instead it crashed into them with all of its weight and momentum, it's mouth –Dean assumed the hole was its mouth- gnashing and attempting to swallow them up. Dean crammed one foot into the base of its 'jaw' and used his hand to hold up the roof of its mouth. His free hand was equipped with the sawed-off and he made quick use of it, Dean stuck the end into the monster's mouth and fired as many time as he could before it had to be cocked again. The beast shrieked and tried to back up, all kinds of ungodly noises coming from its hideous self.

Dean didn't intend on letting it go, he dropped the shotgun and started using all of his strength to pull that thing in half. It wasn't nearly as hard as the gigas had been and Dean soon found himself covered in worm guts. Unfortunately Jet hadn't been able to move for a short span of time after being half flattened so he too found himself in the same situation.

"Oh…" Jet groaned after a moment of silence passed, "This is disgusting." They were covered in a green slime and so many other things that Jet didn't want to even try to define them. "Oh god…"

Dean gagged and threw the worm's remains to the side, "I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Do it on that side." Jet growled and shoved him away.


	67. Jar of Hearts: Lost and Found

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 4**

"How long has it been?" Sam asked almost entirely monotone.

Michael checked his watch, "We've been walking for almost an hour now."

"Excellent."

"I think this thing goes on forever." he exhaled tired and tapped his shoe against the wall, an attempt to shake some goo from his once nice footwear. The eldest Novak brother frowned at the ruination of his clothes.

"It snakes underneath the city like intestines or something." Sam agreed softly, his legs were starting to hurt and he missed his friends. Fear hadn't settled in, not yet. He knew there was the possibility of being eaten by one of those worms but he had no reason to be scared then, not before it happened for real.

"Thanks for the imagery, I had almost forgotten I was eaten once." Michael scoffed and passed Sam by as the Winchester slowed to a stop.

His ears were burning, Sam thought for sure he could hear something. "Quiet." He whispered and caught Michael's arm to stop him as a rumbling started beneath their feet, "Do you feel that?" He asked softly and it rumbled again, slowly increasing in time and volume. They pressed themselves against a wall and looked to either side for a possible explanation. "I have a feeling we're about to have some company…"

"I see it." Michael whispered and Sam turned to look, "It's taking up most of the tunnel!"

"Get down and hide against the walls, be as flat as you can." Sam instructed as they both did exactly that. There were two options, the first was to flatten their backs against the wall and enjoy the smear of the worm over their faces or bury their heads in the rock. They chose the latter.

Sam closed his eyes and waited until he felt the drag of the creature pass him by. He felt a little bit gross but better than it could have been; he was about to get up when Michael called to him a second time; "There's more, stay down." The ones that passed were of varying sizes, Sam counted about three but only 2 touched him. "Can we have a break, already?" Michael groaned and forced himself to get up, Sam right behind him.

"Not likely." Sam muttered and started to brush himself off, "That was disgusting."

"If my suit wasn't already ruined it would be now." Michael griped, their motions nearly in sync.

Sam looked down the tunnel the monsters had come from, his brow furrowed as he squinted in the darkness, "What were they running from?"

"Who says they're running from anything?"

He was quiet for a second and nodded, "I… guess you're right. What do you want to do? Keep going the same way, ignoring whether or not they're running from something bigger or go after them?"

"Well there's a  _possibility_  we'll run into something continuing on the way we were going, or we could  _definitely_  run into four of those things." Michael raised an eyebrow at him with a half smirk, "I'll take my chances, let's keep going."

"Deal."

* * *

"Sam!" Jet shouted for what he thought was the hundredth time, they had ventured into the tunnels together but found no sign of the youngest member of their team. "Where could this thing lead?" he asked in frustration.

"Probably all over the city." Dean mumbled in reply, he flicked some slime off his arms again after killing the third worm in a row. Those void creatures were smarter than the other ones they'd encountered that came in groups, as soon as a few started to die all the rest tried to flee the moment the two 'hunters' were identified.

"Well we can't exactly run through all of them, what the hell do we do?" Jet threw his arms into the air and gave one of the walls a swift kick. There were at least five different pathways they could take, which meant Sam could be lost deep in the heart of this thing.

"I don't know, what makes you think I know? Cas is the one that knows stuff!"

"Yo, I wasn't trying to say-" He stopped and lifted his hand to gesture Dean shut up, "Wait… I hear something…"

Dean shut up and listened, it was Sam. His hearing was enhanced and he still hadn't heard it before Jet. "It's Sammy."

"We should-"

"You stay here," Dean put his hand on Jet's chest before his friend could take any more steps, "I'm gonna need you to help me find my way back here so just wait and listen, okay?"

Jet took a breath as if he were going to say something in protest but he rolled his eyes and waved Dean off instead, "Get going."

"Thanks man." Dean ran down the passageways until he came to another split in the road, he listened again, this time he heard nothing. Sam wasn't talking anymore. "Sammy!" He shouted and waited again, "SAM!"

No answer came and he was ready to pick a passage at random when he heard it; "Dean?"

"Sammy! Where are you?" Dean bolted again, taking a right and running as fast as he could.

"Dean! Dean this way!" So close now, another forked path. " _Dean!_ "

He took off again and nearly bulldozed his brother over when he found him, "Sammy," he breathed a sigh of relief and dropped a hug onto the no-longer-lost Winchester, "Thank god, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sam smiled and squeezed Dean right back, "Managed to get Michael out of a worm sac, got a little lost, nothing I couldn't handle."

Dean smirked at Michael who just sort of tipped his head in a slight bow, a gesture of recognition. "Thanks for keeping my brother company."

"He saved my life, I should be the one thanking him." Michael grinned and pointed up the tunnel, "Exit's that way I hope?"

"Yeah, pretty sure." Dean fought the urge to take Sam's hand like he used to whenever his little brother got lost.

"Where're Cas and Jet?"

"Jet's waiting for us by the exit, let me show you." Dean led them to the first intersection and looked in the direction he was pretty sure he'd come, "Jet!"

"What?" Came the distant, snarky reply. Dean couldn't help the grin on his face, not only because his best friend was hilarious but because of the way Sam's face lit up just at the sound of Jet's voice.

"Missed your boyfriend?"

"Yeah." Sam didn't hesitate and hurried on ahead of them. "Jet!"

"Sam?" Excitement and relief laced Jet's tone, Dean knew his friend was itching to leave his post but wouldn't dare. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Sam kept running after his voice, Dean and Michael right on his heels. They came up the dark tunnels to see Jet standing firmly beside one passageway, his eyes lit up at the sight of them. Sam threw his arms around Jet's shoulders and held on tight. "I'm glad you're here."

Jet hugged him and kissed his cheek, he only squeezed tighter when he felt how Sam's arms shook and his body trembled. "You were terrified." He whispered softly and cradled Sam's head, fingers laced into wet hair.

"I'm not scared." Sam mumbled in a shaky voice, "I was never scared."

Jet placed a kiss on his forehead and held Sam closer, "Alright," he looked over at Dean who shared the same worried look. "You gonna be okay?"

Sam only nodded and let out a shuddered sigh, "Sorry," he gasped and pulled away to rub at his eyes, except Jet wouldn't let him get that far.

"What are you sorry for?"

"I don't know, I was just… I was worried." Sam wiped his eyes and laughed a little, it wasn't a very strong laugh but it was reassuring all the same. "After everything that happened in Futurum and then with the corrupted timeline, it's getting a little heavy for me."

Jet smiled warmly and moved his hand to touch under Sam's jaw; his thumb gently stroked his boyfriend's cheek as they just looked at one another. They didn't say anything for a moment and after a few seconds Sam closed his eyes and exhaled, it was steadier than the last few breaths he'd taken and a little more controlled. He leaned forward, letting Jet's hand guide him until he felt the familiar pressure of the other male's mouth on his. The touch of his lover was a comforting thing, warm hands caressing his skin, strong and sturdy in their embrace. A light smack sounded between them, something only they could hear, as they pulled apart again.

"You'll be okay, I promise." Jet whispered and Sam nodded.

"I trust you."

"Hey," Dean put a hand on Sam's shoulder, "should I be worried?"

"No," Sam sighed in some relief, a smile on his lips, "I think I'll be okay, for real this time."

"Alright, just don't… don't push yourself, okay?" Dean had seen Sam far too ill to be comfortable knowing his little brother wasn't doing so well, even if it was only a little bit.

"I won't, sorry." Sam bowed his head a bit and turned toward the tunnel Jet had been guarding, "Sunlight's that way?"

"Sure is, let's get back to Cas." Dean grinned and hurried them along. They'd had quite the stroke of luck, if he really thought about it. Sam was missing, directly in the middle of the monster's cave structures, and yet he reemerged unharmed and safe, a little shaken maybe but still safe. It was something to be celebrated, not feared.

* * *

Castiel twiddled his thumbs and watched the news as more reports of missing people were aired. The city had started to notice the odd occurrence as being exactly that, there were strange tunnels cropping up around town and in the areas of where said individuals had disappeared. Castiel squinted at one of the videos as it played out for him, he recognized that tunneling.

"Oh for the love of crap…" he ran his hand down his face tiredly and pulled himself to his feet, "If I'd known that I would've gone myself."

"What is it?" The other Castiel piped up excitedly and, to his credit, a little anxious.

"They're vermis."

"Vermin?"

"No, vermis, it's Latin for worm, maggot, grub, that sort of thing. They travel as one creature and eventually molt into two and so on until there're mass numbers of them." Castiel walked toward the house's exit, "I'll have to take care of it myself, physical attacks won't make a difference, they'll just multiply." He was out the door by the end of that sentence, the two hosting him ran to follow but he shouted back, "Stay there, you'll be fine as long as you're upstairs."

Cas stalked down the street the same way Dean and Jet had gone, his coat caught the breeze as it blew past him and for a second he felt kind of badass. A thought that he decided would be kept to himself, it was cooler when unspoken.

Soon enough he heard the frantic murmuring of a crowd and knew it had to be around something Dean had done; Cas approached quickly and pushed through to the front where he saw a dead vermis, split in half and both sides wriggling. The priest made a face that showed as much disgust as he was capable of, he raised a hand toward the creature and looked back to the crowd, "Step away!" He demanded and after a few seconds his hand started to flicker and glow. He'd seen it before but this time he could feel it, the power and the way it moved, he could  _control it_.

In a flash the beast disintegrated, the particles dissipated into the air above them. People shrieked of course but Cas couldn't be bothered, he scanned for an entryway into the labyrinth tunnels and after passing by a few more people in the crowd he found it. He hurried to it and waved his hands over it a few times, chanting under his breath as a swell of magic washed over the hole.

"Wow," he heard the voice of his other self and nearly rolled his entire head.

"I said stay back at home." He snarled.

"Well all these people are here and if you were running off to fight whatever was making those giant tunnels, we couldn't leave you alone!" Castiel argued with him and he couldn't be bothered to reply.

Cas continued the spell until he spotted four more interruptions rushing up from below. "Cas!" Dean called with some elation and Cas knew, from the talk he'd had with his other self an hour or so before that he should show the same devotion. But he couldn't be bothered right then.

"Hurry the fuck up!" He snapped back which seemed to be enough motivation to get their asses moving.

"What're you doing?" Dean asked as he cleared the hot zone and stood behind his partner.

Castiel didn't respond with words and instead showed them with a few flashy moves and one solid beam of energy shot down the hole, twisting around the first curve and onward. Cas held it there, he thought it might have been a strain but it wasn't, his dying self hadn't lied when he said that Cas would be able to control it without the black outs. "I'm getting rid of them, once I'm done with this spell they should be cleared out."

Dean smiled and looked over at Jet with a sort of 'told you so expression,' "See? Cas is the one that knows stuff."

"I never doubted you for a second, man." Jet laughed, his hand firmly clasped in Sam's.

Michael stood in complete disbelief at the entire scenario unfolding in front of him, even with Castiel hanging off him in a big 'oh my god you're alive' hug he couldn't believe it. "I'm fine," he reassured his younger brother with words and a hug but still couldn't wrap his mind around the magic and giant worms and alternate dimensional people. There were two Castiel's and two Dean's directly in his line of sight and quite frankly it was freaking him out.


	68. Jar of Hearts: Shower TIme

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 5**

All around the city vermis holes lit up like Christmas lights, geysers of energy sprayed out into the sky and slowly diminished until all that was left were dark tunnels spread out beneath the streets. Castiel sighed and lowered his arms, a smile spreading across his lips, "And finished."

"Didn't you just blast the faces off any person looking into one of those holes?" Jet asked incredulously, his eyes wide as he looked to where they'd just emerged from.

"No, that spell only works on Void creatures," Cas muttered as he lifted his hand to create a new portal, "Let's get going-"

"I think we should stay for a bit." Sam dared to say and Castiel turned a confused glance at the young Winchester.

"We don't have time, Sam."

Sam raised his arms and turned slightly to show the slime all over his back, "I think we have time for a shower, Cas."

The priest blinked a few times and turned to look at the others in his party, Dean and Jet were both grinning ear to ear with the same luminescent ooze covering their bodies – Dean more than Jet. Castiel sighed and ran his hand down his face, "May we… stay with you for a little while longer?" He asked the other couple and the two were eager to reply.

"Absolutely," Dean was the first to speak and he motioned for them all to follow, "Let's get outta here before someone calls the cops."

The group made their way back to the house, Michael answering to his brother as to what had happened the entire way back. "I told you already," he placed a reassuring hand on Cas' shoulder and reached up to wipe the tears away with his other, "Don't cry, Cas, I'm fine."

"I just… you always answer." Castiel sighed and hugged Michael again; he didn't care that he'd also need a shower and a change of clothes, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Mike."

"I do," Michael whispered with a smile and ruffled Cas' hair affectionately, "You'd move on."

Cas scoffed softly but took the hint, "You're awful sometimes, you know that?"

"Only sometimes."

"Don't be so modest Michael," Their Dean joined in, hanging an arm around the older Novak's shoulders and weighing him down, "You're awful most of the time, take some pride in it."

Jet smirked as the three joked around and glanced over at his friends, "Is it weird to see this kind of thing for you guys too?"

"What kind of thing?" Dean raised an eyebrow at him, still picking bits of worm guts off his coat.

"I dunno, the happy ending kind of thing."

Cas nodded a little, "Like having a house and visiting brothers and all that?"

"Basically."

The other three looked at one another then back to where Michael was slowly trying to walk with both his brother and brother in-law hanging off of him. "Yeah." "Kinda." "Just a bit." They answered in unison and Jet snorted back a laugh at the similar expressions they all wore.

* * *

Sam was the first one to claim the shower and all he wanted to do was drag Jet with him. The older male played with the idea of refusing but in the end he didn't, they walked up the stairs together hand-in-hand. It was warm, a kind feeling shared between them as they took those steps. Words could have been said but they didn't feel the need to speak just yet. Sam closed the door behind him and looked at Jet who had no hesitation within him, just a smile on his face and that familiarly mischievous look in his eyes.

They stood apart for a few seconds, Sam didn't dare move as Jet's eyes scanned him over, he felt like prey just watching the predator before being devoured. It was exhilarating and Sam hadn't ever felt such a rush just by standing across a bathroom from someone else. Then, ever so carefully, he started to unbutton his over-shirt. He'd only managed to undo one before Jet was on him, hands raked through Sam's hair and another mouth capturing his. They breathed in time with the other, a sharp inhalation and a shuddered release as their lips parted and tongues danced together.

Sam continued to undress himself until Jet's hands stopped him, a rough sort of comfort held him there and Sam waited. He let his partner do the job for him and leaned his head back, eyes closed, body relaxed against the willing touch. "Jet," he gasped lightly and reached into his lover's hair, feeling out the shape of his skull, down his neck and along the muscle of his shoulders. "I love you." He breathed between kisses and felt the little hitch in Jet's motion.

"I love you too," Jet shifted to look at him, they weren't any further apart and Sam was grateful for it. "Always."

They smiled again, eyes locked and unmoving for what felt like ages when suddenly a knock at the door made them both start. "I don't hear water running and you've been in there five minutes, hurry up!" Dean called through the door, "There are others who could use a cleanup too!"

Jet chuckled and kissed Sam again before pulling him in close, "Shut up, asshole."

"Seriously, I will kick this door in."

"Then do it, I don't think you'll enjoy the sight."

"Jet," Sam warned with a laugh and bit at his lover's earlobe, "He'd do it. Let's just get in the shower."

"Fine," Jet sighed and pulled away to remove his clothes without any ceremony or flare, and somehow that seemed more impressive to Sam than any flashy attempt to be sexy. "You're gonna regret stopping me though."

"Oh am I?" Sam chuckled and put his arms around his lover's shoulders again, this time he enjoyed the feeling of skin on his. It was a short moment of relearning Jet's muscles, the way their bodies moved against the other. Sam kissed Jet's cheek and trailed down his neck, a light gasp escaped him as Jet's hands slid down his sides and around to his back, fingers dipping into each crease and curving over the swell of his ass.

"Thought you wanted to start showering?" He teased, whispering in Sam's ear and sending a shiver down his spine.

"I do," Sam grabbed Jet's arm and dragged him in, they started the water and both jumped a little at the initial temperature.

"Fuck that's cold," Jet hissed with a laugh and held Sam a little tighter, "Jesus, a little warning next time."

"You saw me turn the tap." Sam almost giggled the words as Jet nibbled lightly on his neck, "You know you're impossible, right?"

"You like me that way." Jet grinned wildly and slid his hands down Sam's front, "C'mon, let's play a little." He smiled even wider at the sounds he'd earned for himself; Sam gasped lightly and leaned back with a moan as Jet's hands found their way lower. He wrapped his fingers around the sensitive skin of Sam's junk and fondled playfully before gripping his shaft.

Sam's hips jerked forward and he left himself at Jet's mercy, his skin felt like it burned with each smooth stroke of Jet's hand. His head fell back against his boyfriend's shoulder, body shuddering from the sensation building, it happened so rarely that it made every part of his body tingle. "Should… do this more often." He gasped and tilted his head to press his forehead against Jet's neck.

"Mm," Jet hummed in agreement and pushed his cheek against Sam's head affectionately, he explored the dips and curves of Sam's loins again. Fingers brushed against the smooth flesh of his thighs and then back to follow the hardening length of his cock. "I don't think I tell you how beautiful you are, how hot you make me."

"I think you do that all on your own." The words barely left his mouth before Jet spun him around; Sam's breath caught in his throat and he gasped at how cold the wall was. "Jet-oh!" he moaned his boyfriend's name like it was made of gold, dripping off his tongue with the sharp, meaningless words that fluttered out of him. Jet ground his hips up against Sam's, long legs wrapped around a slender but firm waist, it was that same strong hold Jet had that always made Sam's knees weak. The first time he remembered Jet surrendered to him, opened up and relented his control. Sam decided it was time to let himself go now, just let Jet lead him to see where he'd end up.

Jet's arms wrapped around him again, one hand found its way into his hair, the other slid down the curve of his spine and dipped under his ass. Sam groaned and opened his mouth to Jet's kisses, tongues touching and flicking over the other's in an attempt to taste him. The hot pressure of fingers pushing inside him hurt, it burned with the stretch and pull of his flesh but Sam didn't yield to it. He kept kissing his boyfriend, bit at Jet's bottom lip and dug his nails into the firm, shifting muscles to hold himself steady. Jet knew what he was doing, it only hurt for a little while, the pain lingered as they continued but Sam couldn't feel it past the pleasure.

His breath was heavy, his eyes couldn't pull his gaze from Jet's and they held that stare until Sam's snapped closed and he cried out again. Jet's fingers brushed his prostate with as much care as could be mustered in their position. He was on fire, his body ached and his mind ran wild with nothing but lust, love and complete trust. Sam didn't count the seconds, he wanted it to last forever, Jet held him so strongly against the wall, not once did he waver or shake and it only reminded Sam of the times before insanity happened. Before the void and the priest-hood, before incredible magic and strength filtered into their lives, Jet had been one of the strongest people he'd ever known.

"I love you," he gasped between kisses and felt the pull of a smile on Jet's face.

"I love you too." The words came out smooth and honest; Sam wanted to hold them forever, to feel Jet against his body as long as he possibly could.

Sam turned around at Jet's prompt and leaned forward, his body bent and rear stuck out for his boyfriend's leisure. He held his breath at the hot press of Jet's mouth against his anus; he hadn't quite expected the rimming but it wasn't unwelcome. They didn't have any lube with them and spit was the closest thing. More importantly it felt amazing, Sam barely caught a few of the moans and sighs that escaped him as he felt the wriggling tongue pushing around at him. Part of him thought using spit was undignified but then again, being dignified wasn't at all why he loved Jet.

Before he knew it he was against the wall again, this time it didn't feel nearly as cold but his skin felt even hotter than it had the last time so it wasn't much better. But Sam was too distracted to pay too much attention, he grit his teeth and lurched at the burning pressure of Jet's cock at his entrance. "Oh my god!" He gasped and scratched at Jet's back, "Jet!  _Ohhh_." He could hear the soft moans in reply, the subtle compliments that he didn't quite catch, and the weight of Jet's breathing. It made him smile, to still hear the little grunts and whimpers mixed in with his despite their swapped positions.

"Fuck, Sam," Jet hissed and rested against him for a moment, their bodies kept warm by the other and the hot water that poured over them, they stayed relatively still for a few moments. It took some time to get used to it, Sam took a deep breath and relaxed, letting himself slide down Jet's dick until they'd lost all distance between them. They looked at one another, a smile shared between them and Sam felt like he was more important than anything else in the world.

"You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered and Jet laughed softly, his mouth barely opened to make the sound but it came across the same. He knew, because Sam did the same to him. They kissed again, the heat surrounding them flared between their lips and it felt all the more surreal as Jet's hips slowly shifted and pushed into him. Sam inhaled heavily through his nose, refusing to break the embrace, their lips stayed locked and moved together in a rhythm neither paid much attention to. It just worked.

Pressure built between them in their slow fuck, Sam hadn't realized the volume he'd reached or that the wall started to shake a little. He didn't notice how much harder he'd held onto Jet, or how deeply he may have scratched the skin. He lost himself in the moment, let himself fall into Jet's hands and just rode out his pleasure. His climax reached him in a snap, it shocked him and his body jolted as a sharp cry tore from his throat. He screamed, curses or Jet's name he wasn't sure, he wasn't even sure if there was a difference between the two options. Sam panted and grasped at Jet's arms as his boyfriend plowed him into the wall, when had it gotten that rough? He loved it.

Jet's breath hitched and he shuddered, his grip faltered only slightly as he whined quietly into Sam's shoulder, "Holy shit…"

"Right?" Sam huffed and ran his fingers into Jet's hair, they were soaked but he was pretty sure some of that had to have been sweat.

They looked at each other and smiled again, it felt like the same smile, Sam thought. He balled his hand up in Jet's hair and pulled his head up for another kiss. He loved the whimper it earned him, he loved the strength in Jet's arms and torso as he held him up, he loved Jet.

Finally Jet let him down and Sam felt his legs shake, he'd been so tense for so long, how much time had passed?

"I think Dean's gonna be pissed we're still in here." He laughed and Jet snorted at him in response.

"Just a bit."


	69. Jar of Hearts: Nice Rug

**Jar of Hearts: Part 6**

Castiel stood at the window as he watched the residents of the household pull away, that symbolic car disappeared around a bend and that was it, they were alone. The original world dwellers wanted to give them some time together and the best way to accomplish not getting in one another's way was for one party to leave. Cas had argued, stating that they'd just use the shower and move on, but the other Dean insisted that they stay the night.

"I insist, Cas."

"I really don't think-"

"It's no trouble." Dean clapped him on the shoulder before grabbing his overnight bag, "Just relax for a bit, you guys did us a huge favour, we need to repay you somehow."

"Yes, you saved my brother's life and I really want to make it up to you." The other Castiel went to hug him for it, his smile surprisingly charming. Cas was starting to wonder if he was doing it wrong, he seemed to be so sweet in the other universes.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? You can't leave four strange men in your house, Castiel." Michael protested as politely as he could by pointing out 'you're letting very strange people wander alone in your home.'

"You are the only one, shut up Michael." Despite being glad his brother was still alive, Castiel would not hesitate to tell him off. The two priests exchanged a look as the small group exited the household, neither sure of what to say. "Have fun you two! You can stay in our bed!" And with that the door shut.

"Odd…" Cas muttered to himself and Dean shrugged.

"What's odd is how long those two are taking up there." He frowned and went to the stairs to listen for running water.

Cas lowered himself onto the couch and leaned back, he closed his eyes and took a slow breath. He could hear the water upstairs but he could also hear a very distinct set of sounds and it made him smile. Dean, on the other hand, was grumping around about Sam and Jet not hurrying up for his sake. Castiel looked over at the green-eyed priest as he paced back and forth around the living room grumbling to himself. "Sit down," He caught Dean's coat and pulled him over until their legs were touching.

"I'm covered in crap, Cas, I can't sit down until I'm clean." Dean snarled bitterly and turned to glare in the general direction of the bathroom one more time.

A number of thoughts went through Cas' mind at that moment, how awful the slime from a vermis really was, how much of it would have actually gotten on Dean. He'd washed his hands and face already in the kitchen sink; the only real problem was his clothing. "I can solve that." Castiel smiled devilishly and pulled Dean down to his knees in front of him. He loved the look of surprise on his partner's face; stunned silence filled the room as his hands slipped beneath Dean's coat. They said nothing as Castiel pushed the heavy garment off his lover's shoulders and let it hit the floor. Dean's cheeks slowly flushed red as he gazed into Castiel's face, Cas could feel his heart thunder in his ears. Just with a look.

' _I love you.'_

"Cas," Dean whispered his name as his touch wandered, his fingers traced each little dip and curve of Dean's body. There was a tingle in his fingertips as they brushed over freckled skin, his heart raced faster and he could hear his own breathing shudder. Dean cupped his cheek then and Castiel melted into a kiss, he didn't care. He didn't care that Dean hadn't been cleaned off entirely; he didn't care about the mess or a lingering smell, Castiel just didn't care about those stupid little things. Too many times he'd wished for this contact, the gentle taste of his lover's mouth and the burn in his flesh. Castiel would never be the one to take that for granted, but how could he say it?

"I love you." He whispered out loud, breaking their kiss and slowing Dean's pace. "I feel I don't say that enough."

Dean smiled softly, so sweetly that again Cas wondered if maybe he was doing it wrong. "I know you do, Cas." His words were simple but it wasn't what he said that made Castiel's heart leap into his throat. Dean's tone and the meaning behind it was stronger than the content,  _I love you too, don't worry; I know you do, even in silence._

Castiel threw his arms around Dean's neck and pressed their lips together, shots of heat pulsed in him and he lost himself to it, like he always did. "You were always the love of my life." He gasped between kisses, his own jacket shed and discarded to the floor behind him. Dean hands were firmly rested on his hips for a moment and he found himself pulled forward and into the arms of the one person he didn't think he could ever live without a second time. They wrapped themselves in one another, arms unable to find the best position because they didn't want to stop touching, they didn't want to lift their hands away.

In their moment of complete infatuation neither remembered to keep balance, Castiel recognized the vertigo feeling but left it as it was. They toppled over together onto the floor, Dean's back hit the carpet and Cas fumbled overtop of him. They smiled and shared another kiss, cheeks red and hot with a kind of fever.

"You will always be the love of my life, Cas." Dean whispered back and Castiel refused to lift his lips away. The clothing that remained on their bodies was soon left to the same fate as the rest, abandoned and tossed somewhere else in the room.

Cas' heart fluttered at Dean's caress, such a strong touch and it was only making him weaker in the knees. He dipped into it when Dean's hands slipped down between his thighs, a shiver trailed through his muscles and up his back like a shockwave. Dean grinned beneath him, that flirtatious, obnoxious smile that he loved so much. "What?" Cas barely managed the word as a moan took over his vocal chords.

"You're the best thing to ever happen to me." Dean held the back of his head, fingers woven through dark hair and eyes locked like nothing else in the world mattered. Castiel wanted to cry but for the first time he didn't, he smiled down at his lover and nodded his head.

"I know."

He reached down between them and took them both into his hand; a firm pump or two of his hand had Dean bucking up like a teenager and Cas shuddering forward. He continued the motion, felt his toes curl slightly and knew that he had to find a way to do this more often. The room felt hotter and their skin felt stickier the longer he did it. Before Cas knew it his hips rocked with Dean's in a rhythm he couldn't pay attention to but somehow knew. Their breathing was all over the place but it felt right, Cas moaned into Dean's mouth and they both had to take a moment to collect themselves.

"What did you want to…" Dean took a shaky breath and before he could finish that sentence Cas gave a last definitive stroke and forced a sharp whine out of him.

"Remember the first time?" Castiel climbed off him and moved toward his head, Dean smiled up at the sight as Castiel crawled over him. He licked the tip of his boyfriend's cock as it hovered above him, nearly making Cas' knees buckle.

"Fuck yeah, I do." Dean sighed before sucking Cas into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the shaft like he missed the taste, and maybe he did.

"I want to do it like this," Cas groaned and fought the urge to buck down, "I want to do it like this again."

"You got it, babe." Dean gripped Cas' hips and pulled him down, he shivered when he felt the warmth of Cas' tongue and pressure of his mouth, blood rushed from his head and nearly left him dizzy. He tried to say anything,  _oh god, fuck, Cas_ , but none of it came out right while his lips were wrapped around his boyfriend's dick.

Dean rocked his head up as Cas leaned down and again they fell into sync. Tension building slowly, the heat of another's breath rushing past their flesh sending little goosebumps all over their skin. Dean didn't expect it and he was far from ready when he felt his muscles stretching, Cas had soaked his fingers before pressing them into Dean's anus. He choked when he lurched upward and turned his head away when he fell back down. "Oh  _fuck_!"

Castiel pulled back and let Dean's cock slip past his lips with a pop, "Sorry, I should've warned you."

"No, no," Dean huffed and looked at his lover, Castiel felt so privileged to see his face so flushed and vulnerable it was killing him. "That… that was good."

That was the only incentive that Castiel needed, "Wait right here," he rose and ran to the bedroom to find what he needed. There were condoms and lubricant right in the nightstand, easily reached from the bed if needed, Cas found it sort of charming in its own way. Returning to Dean in a moment seemed to take took long because his partner was working himself up, hips jerking upward in a restless lack of rhythm, and his face twisted in pleasured agony from the burn happening in his loins.

Castiel knelt next to him and slowed his pace, taking over the stroke with a strong hand. "Relax, baby, I'll take care of you."

Dean's face brightened despite the displeased whimper that escaped him, he wanted to keep going until he burst but Cas wouldn't let him, not that time at least. He coated his fingers in the strawberry scented lube and smiled at how it slowly started to heat up. Dean thrust upward when Cas' index breached him and a notably uncharacteristic squeak found its way between his lips. It was nice to see Dean come apart like that, when he'd been the one in control of them, the one who had it all put together, Cas was finally able to get back into his groove. He knew better than anyone what Dean liked, what he loved and what drove him crazy and for the first time since they'd met he managed to prove it.

The entire time Cas stretched him out Dean writhed on the floor, his face hot and his legs trembling. Dean managed to moan a name, a word like 'oh' and 'god', and of course the expletives that often came with strong sensations of pleasure. "You're such a good boy," Cas whispered to him as Dean panted, his face turned and pressed into the rug, mouth hung open. Cas smiled and pulled three fingers out, loving the wet sounds it made and the strangled desperation from Dean. He leaned down and licked up from the base of Dean's cock to the tip, his tongue swirling around the head until he the subtle taste of precum graced him.

"Ohhhh Cas…" Dean whined and slowly bucked his hips up again, he was already a mess and Cas couldn't wait to see how much worse it'd get. "Please... I need-ah! Ahh!" His entire body shook when Castiel entered him, it stretched a bit further than he'd been prepared and it was painful. Not even a good painful, it just hurt but Dean wanted it to be good. He held Cas against him for the short amount of time it took for his body to get used to it.

"Dean?" Cas murmured softly and kissed his cheek, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah just… give me a sec, I'll be alright." He took a deep breath and relaxed, his body really did heal faster than it ever had. "This being a high priest thing pays off." He grinned and captured his lover's lips again, sharing in the moment as Castiel slowly started to thrust into him. "Mm..ohhh" Dean fell into the plush rug again and rolled his head back as Castiel found a good position. He yelped when his partner lifted him up and positioned his legs over Cas' shoulder; Dean was practically vertical and couldn't believe how good it felt. Cas got a grip on his thigh and his hip and started to slam into him.

Dean couldn't be quiet, he couldn't find the ability to stop shouting or whimpering altogether. Cas looked so good above him like that, powerful, strong, and rugged. Dean felt his face heat up, his toes curled and every muscle in his body flexed as he let himself go to it, let the feeling rush over him. It was too damn good to ignore and he heard himself crying out, he heard Cas' breathing and very shortly he felt the warmth of his own release on his face.

Cas' speed relaxed and his grip slackened as he thrust the last bits of his orgasm into Dean's ass. He panted for air as he slowly lowered Dean back to the floor, propped up over him to see his face. Dean blinked up at him in a daze and they both smiled sweetly at the other. "You look good like this," Cas pointed out wickedly, a seducing little grin creeping onto his face.

Dean furrowed his brow a bit and reached up to caress his lover's cheek again, "You think so?"

"Fucked out with that look and cum on your face? Yeah, I like it."

Dean blushed a bit harder but he laughed, "I guess so, as long as you're the one responsible."

"Always." Castiel leaned down and kissed him gently, "I love you."

"I love you too." Dean sighed with a smile and rubbed the semen from his face, he had nowhere to wipe it so his hand automatically went straight for the carpet beneath them. They looked around at the mess they'd made and Cas shook his head.

"It was a nice rug."

"Was."


	70. Jar of Hearts: You've Beaten Him

**Jar of Hearts World: Part 7**

Sam eyes shifted when he felt the waking world greeting him, it was warm and heavy. He lifted his head slightly to see Jet sleeping on him, one arm wrapped under Sam's torso while the other rested on his chest. Jet's face was buried in the crook of Sam's neck and he thought that maybe waking up next to his boyfriend was his favourite part about the morning after. Jet was always so tough when they were out, facing crazy monsters and all of that, but he was such a sweetheart when it came to cuddling. Sam never imagined that Jet would ever need him like that, to hold him when he slept but there they were, cradled together. He kissed the top of his boyfriend's head and sighed lightly, letting the morning slip by a little.

In the room over Castiel was experiencing a very similar situation, he'd gone to sleep with Dean curled into him like it was the end of the world around them and that maybe he wouldn't wake up again. Cas' fingers repeated traced through Dean's hair and over his scalp, a soothing and calming motion as he let the drowsiness of sleep drift away from him. Dean breathed so softly, his face peaceful, and his hands grasping gently for Castiel every time they slipped away. Cas smiled at the neediness he was seeing, to feel like Dean trusted him enough to drop a persona of manly tendencies was surprisingly comforting.

When everyone dragged themselves out of bed it was about the same time of morning. Castiel smirked at the drowsy bedhead parallels that Dean and Jet were as they strolled down to the kitchen. They smirked at one another and bumped fists before Dean continued on into the kitchen, his intent clear enough. Sam and Cas shared a glance, each wore the same expression of warmth, it was peaceful. They'd all slept well and no one said anything about any of the night's activities, not even Dean who had been so bitter about the shower in the first place. He did eventually get one, though it was taken with Cas right before bed.

Sam and Castiel sat together at the table while Jet yawned and went to make coffee. He ran his hand through his hair to move it slightly out of his way with little success. He blew at it, that look of 'I need a haircut' dawning on his face before he looked over at Dean with a smirk, "I like how none of us care that we don't actually live here."

"Meh, it's like a 'help yourself bed and breakfast.'" Dean grinned back at him and they looked back down at what they were doing respectively. "Everybody cool with eggs and bacon?"

"Not a big fan of bacon, actually." Castiel shrugged and realized his folly as soon as he noticed the expressions on everyone's faces. "Uh… did I do something wrong?"

"Yes." Jet informed him adamantly and Sam's mouth cracked into a grin.

"That's fine, Cas." Dean raised an eyebrow as if he'd just stabbed him in the back or something, "What would you prefer?"

"Well bacon's fine, I just prefer it softer if that's alright?" Cas added sheepishly.

A huffed laugh rocked Dean's chest slightly as he fished the food out of their host's fridge. "It's okay if you don't like bacon."

"It's fine, I just don't like it crispy."

"Picky eater over here." Jet sneered, playfully poking Cas' shoulder until his hand was swatted away. "Alright, alright." He snickered and withdrew his limb.

Their morning was quiet, Castiel almost wanted to cry at how domestic it all felt, almost. Breakfast had tasted amazing but it came down to the same thing it always did; they had to get moving. As they packed up Sam left a letter for the hosts of the household, he knew that within the hour that entire world would forget they'd ever been there and that none of it would quite line up with a note left behind. But he did it anyway, and addressed it to Michael.

_Dear Michael,_

_You won't remember the conversation you held with a stranger in a dark labyrinth beneath the city but that stranger wanted you to remember at least one thing; don't be afraid of waiting but looking for that special someone is more likely to end in finding them. You are capable of the same love you've seen around you, that way your brothers light up isn't just a 'them' thing, you can have it too. Don't rush but don't waste your time, I want you to be happy too._

_Good luck._

Sam got out of the chair as soon as he was done, stretched and winced slightly at the subtle throb in his backside, "Jet you were a bit rough," he whispered as he elbowed his boyfriend lightheartedly.

Jet smirked and gave his ass a quick squeeze before kissing Sam's cheek, "Remember what you did to me? I think I was pretty damn nice."

"Let's go, guys." Castiel smiled at them and motioned to where Dean was the first to step into a ready made portal. He ushered them through before it closed behind him as he entered last.

* * *

**The Rift**

A familiar emptiness met them as soon as they passed to the other side of the portal, Dean scratched the side of his head in annoyance as they piled up behind him. "We're in another rift, guys."

Cas frowned and looked around again, it was certainly the same kind of neutral zone he remembered from previous encounters, that same no-gravity feeling and slight nausea that came with it. "For fuck's sake! How many of these can we run into in such a short amount of time!?"

"Maybe it's doing laps?" Sam offered with a half-hearted smile.

"More likely that it's trying to avoid something…" Castiel ran his hand up through his hair and looked at Dean who only shrugged, "We'll figure it out later, I suppose. There's got to be something between the worlds that's causing the rift to circulate in such a small space."

" _Welcome."_  The rift spoke up in the same manner it had last time, the voice was like silk and so calm that they didn't really feel tension anymore.  _"Dean Marion Winchester please point out who in this space you would soonest die for."_

Dean's hand immediately shot toward Sam, "Sam."

" _Reason?"_

He was a little surprised, the last time this thing had been fairly trivial but now it was asking deeper questions? Maybe it was in a bad mood or something, regardless he knew the drill, don't lie to a sentient world. "Because he's my little brother, I've been looking out for him as long as I can remember and I know that he'd be the first one I'd reach out to."

" _This is for all of you, pass this hypothetical situation."_

"What?" Dean barely managed to question it before the three around him were suddenly thrust away from him, each bound and thrown into a different situation. Dean saw each one like it was slow motion and maybe it was, but he could see and hear each one of them clear as a bell. Castiel's throat was clasped by another him,  _the other him_ , Castiel's late husband. It was a scene from his nightmares and Cas' gargled and crushed whimper broke Dean's heart. Sam was slowly back away from Jet, or at least a vision of him, that same black smoke oozing from the fake's orifices and a twisted grin on its face as it approached his brother. And lastly Jet stood completely still as he stared into the face of his father, Dean didn't need to know more about that scenario to know exactly what was going on there.

He bolted forward, he could be fast enough to save all three but he came in contact with a wall, it wouldn't let him through. "What is this!?" He pounded his fist on the barrier and looked up to see Castiel's body going limp, Sam's back against a wall, and Jet still hadn't budged an inch.

" _Your job is to watch. Let them do it on their own."_

Dean's heart stuttered in his chest as it felt too tight to breathe, Cas' face was already wet from crying, the pain shaking him to his core. Dean hit the glass again, "CASTIEL! He's not real! HE'S NOT REAL!"

Cas choked out a sound and glanced back toward Dean, blue eyes wide and horrified as he acknowledged Dean's presence.

"That's not him, Cas! You know that, you beat your past, you're stronger than this!  _You're stronger!_ " Dean heard the panic in his voice as tears burned at his eyes. "Kick his ass, baby!"

Castiel's jaw trembled but it stiffened as he clenched it and turned his attention back to the monster in his lover's skin. "You're dead," he said evenly and placed his hand on the creature's face. The light flashed between them and the nightmare vanished in an explosion of smoke and a dissipating mist, Castiel landed on his feet and coughed heavily, his breaths coming in shakily. He was okay.

Dean looked to Sam again, his little brother shaking his head as this strange, twisted version of Jet leaned over him. "You're not real," Sam repeated as his voice shook, "You're a part of a future that isn't going to happen."

" **I'm inevitable, Sam."**

He pulled away when Jet reached for his face, Sam moved along the imagined wall until he could get around the spectre, "What are you?"

" **I'm the one that's going to kill everything you love, I'm the one that's going to take your sweet little boyfriend away from you."**  It laughed, that same bitter sound they'd heard in Futurum.

"SAM!" Dean hit the barrier harder and watched it crack, a bit startled he realized; he could break through. He hit it again and it broke further.

"Dean! Stop it!" Cas shouted at him, "I heard the Rift, you need to stop meddling!"

Dean snarled and hit it again, "My little brother's in trouble, Cas! I'm not gonna just stand here."

The false Jet caught Sam again and held him down, slowly leaning closer with a malicious smile.  **"I'm going to eat you alive."**

Sam stared up in horror at the way it managed to completely stretch and dislocate its jaw. But it didn't get much closer than slightly drooling on him, Sam watched as the thing was punched right off of him and hurdled into the wall behind him. He looked up at Dean who quickly pulled him back to his feet.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean fretted as he checked him over.

"I'm… I'm alright, Dean." Sam wrapped his arms around his big brother and inhaled just as shakily as Cas had, "I just wasn't quite prepared for that."

Castiel walked over there through the gaping hole Dean had made, "We've got one more to bust out, guys."

Dean looked over to where Jet's quarantined area was located and felt his stomach twist at the sight of his best friend on his knees, his head tilted down as a nightmare rendered him completely frozen. The representation of his father held his head in place, a fist in his hair as he beat him with the other hand where a broken bottle waited to cut skin. Dean ran across to where another wall stopped him.

"Jet! Jet don't let him do this to you, come on man!" He didn't know what to say, he'd never solved this problem, he'd never actually helped Jet through it.

Jet shifted a little at the sound of Dean's voice, he couldn't have turned his head to look but it was clear he wanted to.

"You beat him once, didn't you?" Castiel hadn't ever seen Jet's past, had never asked about it but it was clear as day what he saw now. "You're here with all of us, you've already beaten him, what you're feeling now doesn't even hurt."

Dean looked at Cas' neck and saw no marks or anything from where his windpipe was nearly crushed. While it could have been summed up by 'he heals fast,' it had been too soon for that to heal.

Jet was quiet for a few seconds until his hand shot up and caught his father's wrist, twisting it until it brought the spectre its knees in front of him. They were face to face and Jet just grinned at the man, "You were wrong." He whispered before reaching up and very coldly snapping the man's neck.

The walls disappeared and they hurried to Jet's side as he started to pull himself up, his hand went up into his hair and he touched his face as Sam nearly knocked him over with a hug. "I'm not bleeding?" He asked after wrapping his arms around Sam without a second thought of what to do with himself.

"No, I told you the wounds aren't real." Cas smiled and shook his head, "The Rift said 'hypothetical' didn't it?"

"Felt real." Jet dropped his head against Sam's shoulder and exhaled heavily, "Thanks guys."

"You did it on your own," Dean grinned and motioned to the floor where Jet had been kneeling, "Didn't know you could break necks like that."

"Yes you did." Jet raised an eyebrow at him, that little smirk on his face that said more than his tone.

Before they could continue the rift spoke again, interrupting their moment.  _"Dean you have intervened with Sam."_

"The question that you asked me was if I would put my life on the line and who I'd do it for first, my answer was Sam. Are you really surprised? Wasn't that my test? To see if I'd really do it?" Dean argued and the rift was silent for a moment before it stated;

" _You're smarter than you look."_

"Thanks," Dean snorted indignantly, "I… I think."

Before anyone could even laugh at him the rift fell away from them all just like it had done the first time and they found themselves sitting on the mainline once again.

* * *

**The Mainline**

"That was entirely unpleasant," Jet remarked as he pulled himself to his feet, "I liked it better the first time when I got to dance and kiss Sam."

"You lucked out." Cas smirked at him and looked over to where Sam and Dean were sitting a little further down the road. "You two okay?" He called and they both stuck out their hands, thumbs up on each.

"We're good." Dean shouted back and pulled himself to his feet, Sam right behind him.

"Let's keep going," Cas walked past them and toward another world, fires blazing along its path. "Lots of work to do."

The other three fell in line behind him.


	71. When The Man Comes Around: Déjà Vu

**When The Man Comes Around: Part 1**

Sam looked up at his brother as they stood together in an abandoned street, something eerily silent about the location. They'd been all over the place, been to dystopian futures and worlds, apocalyptic scenarios, and a mess of other things. It didn't really matter; they weren't concerned about the empty sidewalks or abandoned cars. Dean did however point out that it "looked like a zombie apocalypse movie."

"Don't say zombies, I really don't want to run into that out here too." Sam muttered and started walking, "Think maybe raptoribus?"

"Nah, that first world looked the way it did because of something else, maybe it's a similar set up." Dean followed his brother's footsteps as he looked at their surroundings. Buildings left solitary, no life at all as they walked together. At least, nothing until they heard a voice shouting after them.

"Hey!" It was familiar, an older man and as they turned around he spoke again, "Dean? Is that you? Sammy?"

Dean's heart skipped heavily in his chest as he looked to see, dark hair with patches of grey and tired eyes belonging to one man in a high priest's uniform; "Dad?"

Sam's mouth was dry as he stared at what he was trying to convince himself was a ghost. John barely managed to move his feet as he approached his sons, eyes watering the closer he got, "What are you boys doing here?"

"What are we doing here?" Sam heard himself shouting, anger boiling his blood the more he tried to stifle it. "What are  _you_  doing here!? We thought you were dead! You've been dead for ten years, you son of a bitch!" He hit his father who seemed more hurt by the words than the physical blows.

"We didn't have a choice, Sam." John tried to say after a moment, giving Sam some time to collect himself a bit. "Do you think I wanted to leave you two? To walk away like that?" His face was twisted with a nightmare he must have been having for years.

Dean's jaw quivered as he tried to keep his composure and shook his head, "Dad, why wouldn't you talk to us? Tell us what was going on? Leave us with someone or take us with?"

"We didn't have time, Dean, we were thrown into this without an explanation or a warning, we couldn't go back home to you and we sure as hell wouldn't have taken you with if we could've." John looked up at a large building next to them warily before he looked at his boys again, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry…" Sam repeated it like it should have fixed everything but it couldn't possibly do that. "Did you ever look in on us? Did you ever check to see if we were okay?"

"All the time," John looked down sadly and shook his head, "But time passed so strangely between the different worlds, we haven't seen you in ages and when we finally got the chance to look back again you were gone." He looked so much older; the more Dean thought about it, John looked like he must have been at least 60. "Last I saw you…" John reached up and touched Sam's shoulder, his hand barely steady as he did so, his eyes betrayed his feelings of being unworthy of laying a hand on his boy, "You were so sick, Sam."

Sam's eyes burned as tears slipped down his cheeks, "Why didn't you do something?"

"We tried, we looked for something to fix you but we found nothing. I thought…" John retrieved his hand cleared his throat before his voice broke, "We thought you'd died, when you weren't there we thought we missed the chance to say something."

Sam bit his lip and wrapped his arms around his dad's shoulders, squeezing as hard as he could. "I'm alright now." He muttered and lowered his head, "I'm alive."

Dean rubbed his face dry as he watched them hug, his heart skipping a little from the weight of anxiety at hearing their father's explanations. "I was worried that you guys had just abandoned us, you know?" Dean broke in as the two stepped apart, he hugged John too and Sam watched in turn. "I'm glad… I'm pretty happy that you guys had to save the world and stuff."

John huffed out a laugh and clapped Dean on the back as they pulled away, "Not bad for an excuse?"

"As far as excuses go, it's alright. Forgivable." Dean grinned and looked over at Sam who nodded.

"Forgivable."

John looked so relieved, there was something about seeing an old man, solemnly, and quietly sad without ever saying it that just pulls at the heart strings. "I want to ask you two about how you got here but we need to find your mother and your partner, I'll explain later but for now we have to get out of here."

Sam furrowed his brow and spoke the exact same words as Dean, "You guys get separated too?"

Dean looked at Sam but saw the expression on his brother's face was far different than his own, Sam again spoke the same words as John next;

"Damn portals, am I right?"

Dean's chest tightened, "Déjà vu."

"It's not déjà vu, Dean," Sam swallowed nervously and looked around, "It's a memory, we've heard this before."

"Futurum." Dean muttered as it dawned on him, "Shit, what else happened there?"

"This was the one where you met dad but I don't know what else happened there, I wasn't supposed to be here." Sam looked at the building again and his chest felt heavy, "I was… supposed to be with Cas." He started running as the ground felt like it was shaking, the source coming from the structure next to them.

"Sammy!" Dean was about to run after him when a hand touched his shoulder.

"Dean," John's tone was serious as he addressed his eldest, "Go after your brother, I'll find your mom. If push comes to shove I'll meet you on the mainline, alright?"

"Thanks dad." Dean smiled and wiped his eyes quickly, "I missed you, you son of a bitch."

John grinned and nodded, "Missed you too, kiddo." He nodded toward the building and Dean didn't need a second cue.

* * *

_If I close my eyes forever will it all remain the same?_

* * *

Castiel looked around at the hallway he stood in, the walls were plain and each door looked like the one next to it. He turned to his other side somehow expecting to see Sam but found he was alone. "Sam?" He called and received no reply, "Odd…" He started walking as his mind started to drag up a fresh memory;

' _We might be dealing with a vacuo.'_

Futurum warned them and something had changed, Sam wasn't next to him like he had been in the vision. Cas bolted toward the stairs; he had to make it to the basement. If it was a vacuo like the vision had showed them the first time, someone was down there and if they didn't get out they'd be trapped in the Void.

He only made it a few flights when he ran into a woman and knocked them both over. Cas scrambled to get up when he had to pause and stare at her face, it looked kind of like Dean's in a way. "I'm so sorry." He stuttered first then saw what she was wearing. "You're a-"

"High priest," She smiled at him, "Mary Winchester, and you are?"

"Castiel." He heard himself say and he wasn't what else he should have said, maybe nothing. "I'm sorry, again, didn't mean to knock you over."

"It's alright, I wasn't looking either." They both climbed to their feet again and looked down the halls, "Do you know what's going on around here or were you just dropped in too?"

"Both, actually. I've been to Futurum and I've seen this place." Cas furrowed his brow and took a shallow breath, "I'd love to talk more but I need to get down to the basement."

"What's happening in the basement?" Mary followed his steps though she was somewhat cautious of him, never trust blindly seemed to be a motto in her head.

"Vacuo."

She paused for a second and caught up to him again, "We should leave then, there's nothing to be done about those."

"I can't, my family's here." Castiel ran down the stairs more adamantly, he didn't know  _who_  was down there but he was certain someone was. If the future had changed even a bit, enough to put Sam on a different level than he was at, maybe no one was there but Cas didn't want to assume that and let them fall.

* * *

_Close your eyes. Close your eyes…_

* * *

Jet looked the room as he took slow steps in a vague circle, it was large but he could see the corners of it. Every wall was blank except for a staircase leading to a single door higher up; he stood opposite it with the great length of the room between him and the exit. Jet noted he was alone and that the metal wire stairs leading to his only escape looked entirely unsafe. With each step he noticed just how quiet the space was, his heart pounded in his ears and mixed with the echo of his footsteps.

"Hello?" He called and felt his voice shake as the situation became clearer to him. Jet laughed at himself, "Anyone there?"

A low rumble shook beneath his feet and Jet ran as hard as he could toward the staircase. He made good distance but the floor broke beneath his foot and sent him tumbling to meet the concrete. Jet scrambled to get up as the ground splintered and cracked around him, a large, gaping mouth emerging from the rubble. He didn't stop to stare at it, he'd seen it once and that was enough.

Jet watched a translucent film shoot over his head and hit the ground not too far away from him. He thought to slow his pace but instead he ran full force into what he knew was a barrier wall. Jet was thrown back like it was made of rubber and he lost all the air in his lungs when he collided with the floor again.

He pushed himself to his feet and ran at it again, pounding it with his fists, punching and kicking and body slamming it but the thing would not move. "Come on!" He screamed hard enough for his throat to ache, his chest felt like someone had tied too many rubber bands around it, " _Give!_ " He pushed as hard as he could until his feet slipped out from under him and he hit his knees, forehead smacking into the see-through wall.

"Jet!" Sam shouted from the doorway and scrambled down the flight of stairs, Dean right behind him. "No!" Sam fell right in front of where Jet was kneeling and pressed his hands against the film, "No, no, no, don't tell me you're stuck." He gasped for air as he muttered the words, shaking his head.

Jet looked up at him through the veil and smiled sadly, "Looks like I am, babe."

"Shut up, don't call me that." Sam snapped and tried to touch Jet's face, all he could do was press the barrier to his skin but he couldn't feel it, he couldn't touch his boyfriend. "We'll get you out."

Dean had pulled his weapon and started to try everything, anything that would break his friend out. Nothing worked, it bounced back at him and the longer they stayed there the more the area around them started to slide. An awful vacuous wind made Sam's foot slip as he remained at Jet's side.

"Don't you dare stay here," Sam's lower lip quivered and he tried to hold Jet's hand, he could see his boyfriend shaking but there was nothing he could do. That was true for both of them. Jet swallowed thickly and looked back toward the mouth of the vacuo as it stretched and heaved in the surrounding area, the ceiling above starting to cave in.

"I'll meet up with you later," he said after a moment of silence.

"No." Sam hit the barrier again, "No, you're coming with us now!"

"What are you all doing?" Castiel shouted as he ran into the room, leaping right off the balcony and down to the crumbling floor below. His heart sank when he noticed the distance between Sam and Jet and put context to why Dean was beating on air. Cas stood silently as he watched them for a second longer, "We need to leave."

"No!" Sam screamed at him but Castiel was already at his side.

"Sam, go, I'll catch up." Jet said but Sam didn't believe him. He tried to hold onto his spot, to kiss Jet one more time but the film was in the way, he felt the light pressure of Jet's lips but couldn't feel them.

Castiel didn't wait any longer and picked Sam up. "We need to leave,  _now_." He looked at Jet and saw the pushed back terror in the young man's face. "I'm sorry, Jet."

"Get him out of here." Jet snapped and Castiel listened.

"NO!" Sam shrieked again and tried to pull away.

"We need to go, Sam!"

"No Cas!" Sam cried and struggled with no success, "DEAN! Dean help Jet! Help him _please!"_

Dean looked up to where the staircase fell apart, Castiel was safely on the balcony and dragging Sam out the door. He turned back to the barrier and beat on in it as hard as he was physically capable.

But nothing moved.

Nothing except the room. Jet tried to grab onto something but he was slipping closer to the center. "Dean!" He cried out and grasped for something but there wasn't anything he could cling to.

"Jet!" Dean pushed his hand as far into the wall as he could but his fingers couldn't reach Jet's slipping hands. "No!  _NO!_ "

Dean stood in horror as he watched his friend slip away, the ground crumbled and the walls cracked and everything was sucked in closer, he could barely stand straight anymore. Jet had screamed, he screamed loudly and it was cut short in an instant. Dean's heart might as well have gone with him.

He didn't move despite the danger, he couldn't comprehend what he'd just lost. Two hands grabbed hold of him and before he knew it he was thrown to the exit's level. He thought he saw long blonde hair but he couldn't think straight.

Dean stumbled outside the danger radius with who he'd realized was his mother, her grip on him firm and unrelenting. He looked back to the building as it sunk into oblivion and disappeared entirely.

Sam grabbed his arm and pulled around to face him, "Where is he?"

Dean felt the tickle of something warm on his face and knew he probably didn't look much calmer than Sam did, "He… he's gone, Sam." The words cut like knives and neither felt like he was able to breathe.

* * *

_Close your eyes for me._


	72. Mainline: Grieving

**Mainline**

Sam had been quiet for hours, maybe days, Dean didn't know what to say to him. Dean didn't know what to say period. Castiel would sit at Sam's side, try to coax him to speak or even whisper but Sam would just look at Cas with those eyes, that puppy-dog look that broke them in two each time. Dean would try to sit with Sam but they'd do it in silence, neither said anything and maybe that was better.

John and Mary stayed with them; they stood their ground at their sons' sides despite the violent reaction it might provoke from one of them. Abandonment for all the world saving glory bullshit that they'd all spouted once before.

"It's not worth it." Sam finally said days later. Days of silence and pained crying came out in the words 'it's not worth it.' Castiel went to his side immediately and sat down, Dean wandered closer but felt Sam shouldn't be crowded like that, like he wanted to do.

"Not worth what, Sam?" Mary tried to ask soothingly and Sam looked at them all, his expression hadn't changed past the grief.

"Him. It wasn't worth his life. I should never have come with…" He looked down at the mainline road, at the Void below them.

"It's not your fault, Sam." Castiel whispered and rubbed his back gently, "Jet did what he did, you can't blame yourself."

"But he didn't want  _this_. He didn't want to go down like that, to be sucked into some monster." Sam continued to glare down at the darkness of the Void. "You said that the vacuo has a connection to the Void, does that mean Jet ended up down there somewhere? Can we reach him?"

"No, Sam." Castiel's tone remained soft as he tried to refuse the suggestion, "I did say that they are connected and yes, if Jet ended up anywhere it'd be inside the Void, but he'd be so far deep in there. It's an enormous space, do you remember trying to lower yourselves down to In Somniantes? You couldn't take the pressure and that was at the edge. Jet's deep inside, I'm… I'm afraid he's… he's not coming back, Sam."

Sam shoved Castiel away, "Don't say that to me."

"You need to hear it," Cas insisted gently though he did give Sam a bit of space, "Sam, we're all hurt, we all loved him but he's not coming back."

Sam was quiet and shook his head, "No… he will…"

Dean bit his lip and looked over the edge of the roadway, "You mean the second vision?"

"That black mist… it's the Void that seeps out of his face," Sam covered his face with his hands and brought his knees up as his body started to shake again, "That awful smile and his voice will be so twisted. He's alive and he's in pain." Sam sobbed out the words, a wretched and strained tone barely understood by the others.  _"JET!"_

Sam sat down with Dean and his parents, he felt sick. His head swarmed with memories and ideas of what his boyfriend was going through, what Jet could possibly have done to deserve that. In the meantime he heard his parents explaining what they'd been up to, the different points of the mainline that they'd been to and the different worlds they'd visited. He didn't care.

Sam heard them but he didn't listen, nothing remained in his head. He just saw Jet.

_I love you._

Sam closed his eyes and pinched his brow.

_What the hell are you going to do when one of those comes at you?_

_I'll fight it_

_You?_ _A_ _weakened_ _version of that thing did this to me, did_ _that_ _to Dean's neck. You aren't either one of us, Sam._

Sam wiped his eyes and tried to pay attention to what his parents were saying, what they'd gone through after being hurdled into the crazy world of monsters and the Void. It sounded similar to their story, just fumbling around trying to figure out what the hell to do and where to go next.

Sam lost them again, he remembered Jet's face, burning hot, cheeks flushed and sweat beading on his forehead as he moaned.

_Just because you're being quiet I'm going to make you scream, Jet._

Sam remembered Jet was nervous, he was scared but he didn't want to admit it. It hurt to think about. Sam ran his hands into his hair and pulled on it until his head to follow lest he yank it right out.

"Sam?" Dean touched him and Sam thought maybe something broke.

_I said Sam's going with. The point I was making is that Dean can't protect him, doesn't mean I can't._

Castiel wrapped his arms around Sam and pulled him close. Sam could feel how wet his face was, it was starting to soak his shirt.

_I love you. I love you, Jet._

_Sam, you… you mean that?_

Jet cried that night.

Sam heard a distant wailing sound. It sounded like him. His ears weren't working right; everything was muffled but Jet's voice.

_Jet, are you okay?_

_I love you too._

_I know you do._

After everything

_I can hear your heart beating._

After they'd fought together

_Weird, this isn't really my body._

Lived together

_No, I mean every time my name is mentioned or my face shows up in your memories._

This was how they ended?

_-a heartbeat echoes-_

_Yeah, I hear it too._

Sam collapsed.

* * *

Castiel stood on the mainline's road quietly, staring off at the worlds and their fires, his mind racing and going nowhere all at the same time. They'd been standing around doing nothing for so much time it made him feel sick to think about it. Mary walked up beside him and looked at his strained expression carefully.

"We've put it together, John and I." She said softly, to try and keep from spooking him. He wasn't really that twitchy so it was a successful attempt.

"What'd you figure out?"

"Who you and Dean are meant to be, I never imagined my sons would get involved in this…" She smiled and ran her hand up through her hair to shake it out. "With the prophesy in our heads John and I thought for a bit that maybe it was us, but others woke up around the same time and even after, so we knew it couldn't be us."

"You didn't stop to think going back was a good idea? To check and make sure that the world was safe and that your sons were alive?" Cas looked at her solemnly, he felt Dean and Sam's pain each time they mentioned the death of their parents and to see those same parents alive… well it just made him want to ream something out.

"I don't have an excuse that makes sense to me anymore," Mary sighed and shook her head, "I wanted to go back but every time I saw a new monster, a new way for someone to die or a world to rot… I knew I had to keep my boys safe out here, to keep their world turning. And maybe it just had to be done without me in it, that's all."

Castiel stopped asking her about it, she was hurt by her own actions, she never got to watch her boys grow up, to hold them and see their accomplishments and lives flourish. She'd gotten her punishment and the looks on her kids' faces now, when they saw her and tried to smile properly, was the lasting damage. Cas didn't need to add to all that. "I'm sorry your choices weren't easy to make."

"Same to you, Castiel. And I'd like to thank you for taking care of them."

"I didn't take care of all of them," Cas grimaced and looked over to Sam who had been awake but only stared down into the abyss below.

"You did everything you could have." She hesitated but touched his shoulder carefully, "Sam will never blame you, and none of us will either. No one here is to blame for anything that's happened, no matter how much one person says 'I shouldn't have let them go.'"

"I told them," Cas snarled, his nose scrunched and eyes angry, "I told them it was dangerous." He couldn't help but remember that stupid smile on Jet's face, "You protected Sam but who's protecting you?" He shouted at nothing, "I told you! I told you it'd end this way, god _damn it!_ "

Mary waited quietly as Castiel blasted a few rays of light down off the mainline, his shout echoing into silence. He stood seething and looked up at her, his face slowly relaxing. "I don't know what to say to you," he told her after a few seconds and she only nodded.

"I know, Castiel, and you don't have to say anything to me, that's not why I'm here."

"Why are you here then?"

She looked back toward Dean who stood next to John, both silently exchanging glances and looking over at Castiel after his outburst. "Dean tells me you're the love of his life, I thought I'd see how you were doing."

Cas softened a bit more and his shoulders relaxed, "I'm sorry you have to see me this way."

"Don't be, you're a very lovely young man, I'm sorry for your loss."

He looked at her wounded expression and knew his must match, "Didn't you know him?"

"Jet was a special boy, he came over a lot and I am very sorry to hear he's…" She took a second and Cas realized just how much it did affect her. Jet wasn't some random guy their kids knew, he really was part of their family, right down to the core. "He deserved something better than a vacuo."

"I agree." Cas glared down just like they'd all been doing for the past few days, maybe a week, he wasn't counting anymore. "That's why I want to avenge him, we need to start working again."

"I think Sam should sit this out for now," Mary admitted and glanced worriedly at her youngest, "I'll stay back with him, will you look after my boys when you're out there?"

"Of course I will," Cas smiled at her, he hesitated but decided that a hug was necessary.

* * *

They'd entered the world a long time ago, he wasn't paying attention to when but he stood back when it'd happened. He stood with his mom, her hand in his as they waited on the mainline. Dean, Castiel, and his dad all disappeared to deal with something. Sam didn't care what.

He stared over the mainline's road like he'd been doing for hours, days, weeks, he didn't keep track of the time. It all moved so slowly now and at the same time too fast. It never stopped, it didn't quit even after Jet was… The world should have stopped for him. Sam's did.

Mary pet his hair gently and he looked at her. "I want to go back…" he said softly.

"Back where, Sam?" Mary smiled quietly at him; he noticed she had a pretty smile.

"Back to the beginning… I want to see him, I want… I need…" Sam wiped his eyes and looked down again, "I need to see him."

Mary was silent for some time until she finally spoke again, "I think it'd be best if you didn't."

"Why? It'll just be for a moment, that's all." His eyes watered again and he barely managed to keep himself together. Mary hugged him but those weren't the arms he wanted, no one's ever would be again.

"Sam, Jet can't tell you this himself but he wants you to be happy." She whispered and he flinched at her words. "He loved you, didn't he?"

"He did." Sam's voice broke.

"Then show him how strong that love makes you, remember him but don't follow him now."

Sam curled against his mother and cried like he used to, when a nightmare would destroy his dreams and he'd wake screaming in the middle of the night. But that nightmare wasn't going anywhere now, he'd be stuck with it and have to live with that feeling in his chest like a weight and a hole where Jet should have been. "I miss him." He sobbed desperately and wished more than anything it'd stop.

"I know you do," Mary soothed and kissed his forehead.


	73. Descend the Shades of Night: Pede

**Descend the Shades of Night World**

It was another world without Sam, without Jet. They'd done it a few times and it didn't get easier, this one they realized was more of a prison for anything supernatural. Being that they appeared out of thin air like they had, Dean and Cas found themselves among the strange monsters and beings, even given an examination. It was from afar, however. The both of them refused to be taken to any kind of lab and therefore were watched, every move they made recorded by some dude in a white coat.

Dean looked at Castiel as they walked together; John hadn't appeared with them but it was alright, they didn't care so much really. He had the job on the mind and they really weren't feeling it. John had things under control; he'd taken out a demoni back at the last place and that went just fine. Jumping into a new world they found themselves together for the first time in forever so they decided to relax.

Dean hadn't spoken much about it, about Sam's breaking, about the ache in his chest, about any of it. He was still quiet and found it hard to speak, they didn't know what kind of situation they were facing and this world looked strange but Dean couldn't figure himself out. There were creatures and inhuman things all over, but none of them were from the Void. It was all set up in some strange zoo or something, walls all around, Dean didn't like it for a second but he didn't like a whole lot at that moment.

They were stuck, regardless. Maybe it was time to say something.

"He was my best friend." Dean muttered as they slowed to a stop, his arms shaking from the tension in his fists.

Castiel looked at him quietly and nodded, "You two were close."

"He… he screamed. Jet never… he didn't like to do that, he didn't like leaving that kind of impression or… or letting someone hear him that way." Dean took a shaky breath and ran his hand down his face, some vague and stupid attempt to settle himself. It didn't work, he was still trembling and his chest felt heavier than when he'd started talking. "He called for me, Cas."

"Of course he did, you just said you were best friends." Cas reached over and placed a comforting hand on his partner's shoulder, "Who else would he call for?"

"He  _needed_  me!" He shouted and pulled away violently, not touching Cas but not wanting to be either. "Jet's last words were for me and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't save him, after all the times he'd gotten my ass out of the fire I couldn't save him." Dean blinked as the tears slipped out and tried to wipe them away. "What kind of friend is that?"

Castiel's face remained as it was, gentle and understanding and it pissed Dean off more. Cas understood and he wanted to help but he'd never seen Jet like Dean had or Sam had, Cas didn't grow up with Jet, he never met one until he was with them. But that was no reason to shout at Castiel, so Dean didn't. Instead he shouted and punched the nearest wall.

Cas took a slow breath and looked up toward the sky above them, covered by some sort of force field so that the flying creatures of the reserve couldn't escape. "Doesn't change my answer, Dean. You were his best friend and you did everything you could have done, he'd understand that."

Dean hated how calm Cas was when he couldn't be, he hated how much Cas' voice wasn't strained like his was, he hated that it comforted him, he hated that he wanted to feel better because what good did that do Jet? What good did being upset do him? What good had he ever been? "I should have told him to stay home. I should've told them both to stay home." He felt himself curling in and realized that Castiel was holding him, arms wrapped tightly around him and a firm grip keeping him in one place.

"Don't do that, don't regret the time you spent together out here. If we'd regret every moment leading up to the death of a loved one we'll regret their whole life and that's not fair to them, it's not fair to Jet."

Dean wiped his eyes and nodded, "It hurts, Cas."

"You miss him, it'll hurt for a while, I'm sorry." Cas rubbed his back in soothing circles, his eyes fixed on the area around them a little more cautiously. "But right now we're not in a safe place, if you'd like I'll go and take care of the Void-"

"No," Dean barked out the word like it'd personally offended him, "I won't let you go alone, I'll keep you safe, Cas."

"I thought all this time I was keeping you safe." Castiel smiled and kissed him softly, "I love you, Dean."

"I love you too." He cupped his lover's cheek to take a second and appreciate that Cas was there, that Cas was breathing and that he was so much stronger. "What do I say to Sammy?"

"There's nothing to be said more than what we have," Cas looked away sadly, the pain of seeing Sam that way weighed on all of them, "Your mom's trying her best but Sam won't listen, your dad isn't much of a comfort to him, what he needs is us to just  _be there_. We can't keep leaving him on the sidelines, Dean."

"We haven't been leaving him-"

"We've visited about three worlds since Jet passed, none of which Sam went to. He's not been well enough to go but I think we can't leave him there to wait, he's just staring into the Void and the more he does it the more frightened I am for him." Cas interrupted and kept talking through the words 'Jet passed' because he didn't want to stop there, to let the linger and sink in again. "Sam should… come with us. He's been doing a bit better and I think maybe he should do something to get his mind off of it all."

Dean was quiet again but he nodded in agreement, "Yeah, yeah you're right. I just don't want to lose him."

"You can't keep people away from you forever, scared that you'll lose them."

"What can I do?" He caught Cas' gaze and held it, "How do we end this already?"

"I don't know, Dean. We need to stop the Void and I don't know how yet, not properly." Cas kept a level tone as replied, both trying desperately to ignore the strange people looming at them.

While they stood together in silence something entirely unexpected happened; the top of the dome exploded. Dean pulled Cas to him and they both shielded themselves from the falling debris. "What the hell is happening!?" Dean shouted as alarms started going off.

"I have no idea but look up there!" Cas pointed to a flock of winged beings and other types of things raining down into the reserve, everything immediately fell into chaos. Swarms of creatures were all over, the people in lab coats were taken out so fast, and blood flew and sprayed all over. For a second some of them stopped to stare at the couple, Dean and Castiel stiffened, weapons drawn from practically nowhere, and the beings mostly left them alone.

"Wait!" Cas called after one of them and the dark-winged thing looked back at him, "What's happening?"

"We've been freed, an archangel from the mid-west destroyed their Reserve!" It cried out and right after the others around it shouted a battle cry to excite those involved. Cas nodded as it flew away and turned to Dean who only shook his head.

"Not our problem," they both decided and did their best to stay out of the way – of course that wasn't entirely possible considering the heavy machinery that the humans responded with.

"We've managed to drop into the middle of a revolution," Cas pinched his forehead tiredly, "I just want to fight a Void monster and go home, is that really too much to ask?"

"Apparently." Dean chuckled and flinched when another chunk of the wall crashed down. He took Castiel's hand and started running, "C'mon, we should get away from anything that can fall on our heads!"

They darted around the battlefield as quickly as they could, knocking anyone away that attempted to assault them. It wasn't that difficult; Dean was a bit surprised though Cas seemed as calm as ever. Dean scooped his partner into his arms and jumped over another skirmish and skidded around toward an open space, but of course wasn't that where most fights would occur in the first place?

"This isn't working," Cas informed him as he drop kicked a charging werewolf, "We need to get out of here."

"But the Void creature is here somewhere, we can't just run off." Dean frowned and just as the words escaped his mouth he heard his name being shouted across the reserve's field.

"Dean! This way!" It was John.

He didn't hesitate and bolted to his dad, diving and rolling whilst still holding Castiel close to him, Cas was light as a feather compared to Dean's strength so it really wasn't any kind of hindrance. They reached John in no time and Cas quickly slipped from Dean's arms, his hand remaining on his partner just for comfort's sake. "What is it?"

"I think I know what it is," John pointed toward a few melted areas, bodies dissolved into nothing, and a splatter of patches like acid had been dumped over.

Castiel looked at the mess and sighed lightly, "It's just a pede."

"A payday?" Dean raised an eyebrow curiously, "What's a payday? Like we're about to get money?"

"No, not 'payday,' Dean, a P.E.D.E. pede." Cas reiterated properly, "It means corrosion."

"What are we looking for?"

"An alligator, of sorts." John responded, "They come in all sorts of sizes but generally they have a flat snout, wide mouth, and long, jagged, crooked teeth." He held his hands around his mouth to try and help his explanation a little. "Their saliva is like acid and dissolves pretty much anything it touches."

Dean grimaced and looked over at Cas, "How do we kill it?"

"Beat its head in, blast it with magic, whatever works." Cas rested his Pernach over his shoulder and started walking; he followed the trail the pede left them, a long string of acidic residue left in its wake.

"How big do you think this one is?" Dean asked as he looked down at the footprints, they weren't much larger than his own foot but then again seeing an alligator his size would probably freak him out.

"Not that big," Cas replied casually, "It'll probably be four or five feet tall on all fours."

"Yeah that's not freaky big at all." Dean muttered, keeping his mind on the task at hand.

"You fought a gigas, Dean, this is nothing."

John looked at Dean with some awe, "You fought a gigas? And lived?"

"And  _beat it_." Dean corrected him, that goofy smile on his face, he was so proud of himself.

"Wow," the elder Winchester swelled with pride and looked ahead, "Atta boy."

"Don't even pretend you could do the same." Cas remarked with a laugh at the old man's assumptive commentary, "It wasn't easy."

"Lucky for us we don't run into those very often." John pointed out, not denying or accepting any statements made.

Cas half smirked at him and glanced up to where he spotted something scurrying, "There it is," he licked his lips and cocked his pistol, barrel pointed to the edge of a building where he suspected the pede to appear from.

He was right and when that angry face reached his vision he emptied a round into its skull. Dean pursed his lips and nodded, "Kind of silly to send three priests after that thing, isn't it?"

"We're not exactly on our A-game, I don't think it's unnecessary." Cas sighed and lowered the gun, "We should get out of here before this revolution involves us any more than it already has."

"Agreed." Dean nodded slowly, "But… Cas just one thing…" He hesitated and his partner turned to look at him, that inquisitive expression on Castiel's face mixed with concern made Dean feel a bit better. "I know you said there's nothing that I can say but… what would you tell Sam?"

Cas blinked and shifted his gaze to the ground for a moment, his mind running over answers. He didn't say anything until a portal opened next to him, "I'd tell him I'm sorry, as I have been doing. I understand his pain, I've lost someone I loved too and to be honest, Dean," he glanced over his shoulder sadly, "There really is nothing to say, nothing that will ease his pain or make him feel any better."

Dean watched Castiel disappear to the mainline, he appreciated the silence from his father, nothing had to be said between them either. He just wished that he could do something to go back in time and fix it, but Cas was right. There wasn't anything he could do anymore but be there, so he followed his partner through and tried to prepare himself for what he'd say to Sam.


	74. When The Man Comes Around: The Void

**When The Man Comes Around World: Part 2**

_Let's take a step back…_

Jet scrambled to grab hold of something,  _anything_ , but he couldn't. The floor was smooth, the force field wouldn't bend, his chest ached as the air around him rushed away from his lungs. "Dean!" He shouted but he couldn't reach Dean's out stretched hand. His friend pushed into the transparent film, he reached and their fingertips almost touched, Jet stretched for it but it got him nowhere.

' _I'm not going to make it.'_  He realized as his body dragged along the pavement, his lungs felt like they were collapsing and that he should say something but no words were possible. It all happened so fast, the ground beneath his broke apart and everything flew toward him like an explosion happened all around. Parts of the concrete broke off and crashed into his legs and he let out whatever breath he'd managed to take in a scream.

Then it all went dark, he couldn't breathe anymore and it hurt. He felt suffocated internally; his body seemed to squeeze into itself like some kind of implosion. He'd never hurt that way before; he'd never felt it in his head and in his thoughts. Everything was blurry, he could see the debris that entered with him but it disappeared. He was flying, swirling around and whipping through the air faster than the mess of rubble. Flying? No, he must have been falling.

Jet had no orientation, no idea what was up, down or anything like that, but what he did know was the feeling of the ground beneath him, beside him, all around him. He tumbled, upside down and flopping over himself like a rag doll. Maybe he didn't know where it was. "Son of a bitch!" He heard himself shouting but he wasn't even sure when he'd said it or why, nothing made sense.

His mind raced and his body felt as stressed as it might if he'd just run a marathon, but the more he tried to pay attention to himself the more he realized he actually wasn't moving anymore. He was lying still, his back to the ground and his eyes wildly searching above him. Jet gasped for air and heard a strained squeaking sound escape him, he couldn't breathe. Everything felt heavy, he was heavy, his head couldn't lift and his arms barely flinched.  _'I can't move!'_

Screeches of creatures echoed around him and he gasped for air, his chest constricted and his eyes widened in terror,  _'I can't breathe! It hurts! It hurts – make it stop!'_  He reached up and grabbed at his throat thinking maybe something was blocking it, maybe someone was choking him but nothing was there, no one was touching him. He wheezed and squeezed his eyes shut, everything was tense and he wanted to vomit, some kind of relief from anything. His head spun in circles and for a second he thought he was standing again, had he pushed himself to his feet?

In a panic it seemed he had, his legs stumbled and he saw everything spin around him in some delusional mess of black and faded colours that might as well have been grey. Jet coughed once that led into a string of hacking fits, his chest compressed and his knees hit the ground again, hands floundering ahead of him to try and stop his face from hitting the dirt. It didn't help and he wound up face down in a pool of what he hoped was just saliva but it started to taste like blood.

His eyes flinched and twitched around like he was still moving and attempting to focus on a circling target, though they had no reason to do any of it. Jet's throat tensed and he felt his gag reflex at work but nothing happened, he convulsed and choked on his own tongue as another batch of heavy coughing plagued him. He whimpered between breaths, as strained and few as they were, it hurt. It was crushing him and his mind wouldn't stop reminding him of what he'd said.

_I'll catch up._

Jet tried to stand again, he used all his strength and rushed to his feet and it worked, he was standing for all of two seconds before consciousness fled from him. He'd stood up too fast after straining himself too hard, blood fled from his face and he collapsed. Falling backward Jet watched a blurred world swing past him before he felt the ground on the back of his head.

* * *

**The Void**

A melody of scraping, heavy breathing, and generally dismal ambience graced his ears as his mind slowly slipped back into place. Jet groaned softly and opened his eyes, he saw nothing, it was all dark or blurry. He'd hit his head, he remembered that much. It hurt to move but for a second he forgot what had happened – and what a beautiful second that was.

He tried to focus on breathing, it was still hard to do it and the pain was still there though it had dulled. Tears dripped from the corners of his eyes and bled into his hair, he couldn't get up; it was too painful to move. Each breath ached in his chest and it felt like it tightened each time he exhaled with no let up. But it couldn't have been true, no matter how much his mind told him that breathing was killing him. He'd fallen unconscious and if breathing would have killed him he wouldn't have woken up again,  _'It's my own head that's killing me.'_  He told himself and tried to soothe the frantic breathing of his heart.

' _What did Cas say about vacuo? They suck, they're hard to kill… and they're connected to the Void.'_  He raised his eyebrows a bit, noted the headache that gave him but paid it no mind as he tried to take in the surroundings. Blurred vision didn't help but it wasn't much more than darkness and strange shapes in the distance.  _'I must be in the Void somewhere…'_  He tried to rationalize to himself and keep his head calm, he wasn't sure that discovery was much of a help.

_I'll meet up with you later._

Jet snarled and tried to sit up,  _'How do I get out of here? How do these fuckers do it?'_  His body shifted for him but gave out under the pressure of the Void, it made him sick and dizzy. A concussion could have been possible, the more he thought about it, "Fuck me…" he groaned and slumped back again.

"Hello?"

Someone called out from the darkness, a voice he didn't recognize but it rang a bell in his head. Jet tried to move again but it still wasn't happening so he relaxed and looked around in the hopes that he'd see someone, "Hey."

"There's someone else down here? Are you human?" The voice was scared; hesitant to ask questions but whoever it was he guessed they were lonely because that hesitation didn't last long. It sounded like a girl, or a little kid, he wasn't sure which one.

"Yeah…" Jet hissed out the word and struggled to inhale again, reminding himself that he was allowed to breathe, that he only thought it hurt. "But I can't move."

Silence followed for thirty seconds before a shaky response reached him; "How'd you get here?"

"Got sucked in by some monster, you?"

"I don't really know, things were fine when I went to bed but… it's been dark for days and I don't know where anyone is." They hiccupped the last few words and Jet had to listen to the sound of someone, a young woman or a child, cry in the distance.

"Hey, what's your name?" He asked as casually as he could.

Sniffling followed until the other person was able to speak again, "Rex," it was a kid, Jet concluded.

"I'm Jet, nice to meet you Rex." He closed his eyes to steady his head and calm the spinning. "Don't cry, alright?"

"But we can't get out of here, what are we gonna do?" Rex whimpered back, it was creepy how his voice kind of echoed in the air like it had but Jet didn't doubt his did it too.

"I'll figure it out, where are you? Can you follow my voice?" It hurt less to speak than it had before, maybe it was the fact he had something to do now, something to push for. But his last words to Sam lingered in his head; he had to get to the others somehow.

"I'll try."

"Good, just walk this way. How do you feel? Does it hurt?" He inhaled shakily and tried to get a better handle on his breathing than he had. Again, it wasn't as bad but it was still fairly awful.

"Not anymore, I got used to it."

"Wow, you're strong Rex, I don't think I could get used to this."

Jet spent the better part of what he was certain had been an hour coaxing Rex closer, and he heard the distance slowly shorten until Rex should've been right there with him. "Where are you, buddy?" He called again and looked around, his head feeling less like a bowl of soup and more like it should.

"Right here." Rex's voice was altered a bit that time, almost multi-toned.

He looked toward the sound but Rex leaned right over him, Jet yelped quietly from the start it gave him but more than that he was stunned. Rex didn't so much have a face as he did have glowing eyes and an illuminated mouth, all of which was encompassed in a shifting mass of black, weighted fog. It shifted and swirled around, though generally kept the basic shape of a person – a full-grown person actually.

Jet noted that the childish voice speaking to him suddenly felt a lot creepier than it had ten minutes ago. "What are you?"

"Imperator," Rex grinned wickedly with a tone to match, no more children imitations. "Means warlord, emperor." A hand formulated around Jet's cheek and caressed lightly, other parts of the body seemed to drift a bit from the one area of concentration. He could only hold a certain number physical shapes at a time, it seemed, as part of his face shifted like the same kind of airy sand the rest of him was made of.

"Rex means  _king_."

Jet swallowed nervously and smirked at the menace above him, "So you're some big shot, huh?"

"I'm  _the_  big shot, pretty boy."

He didn't like that answer, every planned take-over or whatever the Void was doing had some kind of intelligence mixed in. Apparently Rex was exactly that for the creatures they'd been fighting, or much worse but he didn't want to consider that. Hell, he didn't want to consider his entire situation, "Jethro means pre-eminence or excellence so, you know, I'm kind of important too."

That wicked face just smiled at him and a deep laughter echoed from it, "You're cute, I like that." Rex slid his finger along Jet's jaw and tilted his head up a little, "From what my anima sent back home before your group killed it, I assume you're part of the chosen group."

"Not a priest, if that's what you're looking for." Jet sneered and barely flinched when Rex grabbed his face forcefully and held him still.

"I'd recognize the coat if you were, but lucky for me you aren't. Jet, you want to get home don't you? To Sammy?"

Jet's face twisted into a snarl and he pulled away from the imperator, "Don't you fucking call him that, don't even think of saying his name."

"It's even cuter how you think you have the power to speak to me that way, you humans have always been so feisty."

Jet remembered the black smoke coming from his face in that vision, the way he spoke broken apart and a mess of his former self. It had something to do with Rex, but that was his ticket home. The monster looming over him, the creature claiming to be a king would get him out. "What do you plan on doing? What do you need me for?"

"I'm sure you've noticed," Rex sighed and slapped his hand through Jet but all it did was waft over him like a thick mist, "I need a physical body."

"I noticed, but I don't know why." Jet furrowed his brow and watched Rex draw his hand back into place.

"The beings that freed me didn't manage to finish the job of getting me a host, it seems I can't go any further from my Void than its deepest parts." He sounded regretful, lamenting his loss of freedom in a way Jet was pretty damn sure all super villains did.

"What makes you think I'm going to give you what you need? I saw Futurum, I know what you turn me into."

"Then you also know that I get you out of this place, isn't that what you need? Or are you going to give up?" The imperator grinned wider and passed over him, hovering in the space above his head and losing all shape until he was just one swirling mass. "Are you going to break your promise?"

Jet frowned but watched as an image flickered in the strange being that flowed above him, Sam was holding Jet's hand as they fought the anima's force as it nearly pulling them down to a fate not unlike his currently was.

" _Promise me,"_   _Sam shouted and squeezed Jet's hand, "Promise you won't give up."_

Jet's expression tightened as he watched, his chest ached again, he could see Sam and it hurt.

" _I promise, I said I'd keep you safe didn't I?"_

"So what do you say, Tull?"

"Still surprised you need my permission," Jet huffed and glared as Rex took form again, they would've been nose to nose if the Void king had one.

"It'd be helpful."

"Why?"

"Because if you fight me tooth and nail I'll wear your body out and then I'll get stuck down here again, you'd be dead, and I'm back at square one. So what do you say? You did promise him."

Jet wanted nothing more than to punch that smug bastard in the face, but again he didn't really have a face to punch.

' _Who says I lose control?'_  He thought to himself as he stared down the monster,  _'I saw what happens when I arrive, but who says I stay that way?'_

"Tick tock, tough guy."

' _It's arrogant, it's stupid, it's selfish.'_  He repeated to himself as his heart weighed him down, kept him grounded.  _'I miss Sam. I miss Dean. I miss those goddamn Winchesters.'_

_I love you Jet._

' _Sam's going to hate me…'_

_Jet's one of the strongest guys I know._

' _Dean's gonna be disappointed.'_

_We're family._

Jet smirked,  _'Cas is going to be pissed.'_

His expression remained still, slightly smug but closer to neutral as he nodded his head just a little, chin tilted up like he did.

"Do it."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I've finished this story and looking back, I just wanted to say that this was probably my favourite chapter.


	75. Mainline: Let it Out

**Mainline**

Castiel, Dean, and John walked out to the road together, met by the sight of Sam sitting with his legs dangling off and Mary right beside him, her arm around his shoulders and tucking him in close. Dean swallowed past the growing lump in his throat and approached them quietly, his gaze met with his mother's as she glanced up at him. He hadn't realized how much older his parents really looked in comparison to how old they should have been. Time between dimensions and worlds changed so much, he didn't think they should have been as old as 60 but there they were, maybe he was just wrong.

"Can I talk to him?" He asked after a moment and she leaned down to whisper something to Sam. Dean took a slow breath when Sam nodded and she gently rubbed his back, a kiss left on his cheek, and departed. She paused on her way by and gave Dean a hug too.

"I'm so sorry, Dean."

He returned the gesture and sighed heavily against her shoulder, "Yeah, me too."

Mary touched his cheek and smiled at him before finally taking her leave, he watched her go for a second before looking down at Sam. "Hey," his little brother muttered, Sam's tone was heavy and a little bitter but Dean couldn't really blame him for that.

"Hey," Dean sat down next to him and let his legs hang off the edge of the mainline too, looking down at the Void below him, "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." Sam lowered his face into both his hands; his fingers slid up into his hair and pulled it back only for it to fall around his eyes again, "I need a haircut."

Dean shrugged, "I think it looks okay, maybe just part it different, no one says you need bangs." He reached over and ruffled Sam's hair for him, the younger Winchester's head rolling with his leverage like nothing.

"I guess," he replied hesitantly and exhaled in a huff, it almost sounded painful. Dean didn't doubt that it was, Sam had been through a lot already. "What do we do now, Dean?"

"What we've been doing,"

Sam looked at him, his expression still miserable but not nearly as wrecked as before Dean left. Dean tried to offer a smile but it fell again and he reached forward to pull his little brother into a hug. Sam went willingly and dropped against Dean's frame like he'd been waiting far too long for it, "I'm sorry I didn't get him back to you, Sammy." He whispered and squeezed gently, a tear slipping out of his left eye.

"It's not your fault, none of us got him back here." Sam bit his lower lip and tucked his head down as his fingers dug into Dean's coat, "I miss him, Dean. It hurts so much."

"I know, I don't know what to do with the pain either." Dean admitted softly and leaned back to look at Sam's face a little better, surprised to see the amount of anger that was there.

"I want to come with you next time, okay?"

He smiled and glanced toward Cas, his partner quietly conversing with John and Mary, "Cas and I thought the same thing, actually. You shouldn't stay here alone, I'm sorry we left you like that." Dean reached over and pushed Sam's hair away from his face and tried to keep his smile from crumbling, "Is that why you're mad?"

Sam's face lightened up and he shook his head as he pulled away, "No, Dean, I agree with your choice to leave me behind. I needed to get my head on straight."

"Is it?"

"Straight enough." Sam nearly snarled through his teeth as he glared down, "The Void, that awful place and those monsters, I'm going to make them pay for this. But more importantly than that," he turned to Dean again and Dean caught the glimmer of tears in Sam's eyes, "he's still alive, I'm certain that he's down there somewhere."

"Sam-"

"NO! Dean listen to me, remember in Futurum? Do you remember what we saw?"

"Yeah, Jet had that black smoke coming from his face, but Sam Futurum doesn't happen the same way for sure." Dean tried to reason but Sam shook his head harder.

"No not that, when Jet touched the sphere, do you remember after that scene with Cas facing off against him? You and Jet touched the sphere and it was just black, it was the Void and  _he was there_. He screamed at the end but we couldn't see anything.  _That's_  where he is, right now Dean. He's there, he's alive, and he's in pain. We have to get down there!" Sam's volume increased and he'd gotten tense, his face frantic and he was unable to control himself as the tears slipped free.

"How?" Dean managed to say, his throat felt thick and his body threatened to cry at any moment but he fought it off like he'd always done in the past. "How do we get down there Sam? How would you even survive it?"

"We find something, I don't know. I think jumping works too, we could just hop off the mainline!"

Dean glanced over to the others where Cas' attention was already caught and he stared their way, "No one's jumping down there," he hissed in a whisper, "we don't know where we'd end up, we don't know how to get back out and have  _you seen_  how big it is? The Void is bigger than the mainline; it surrounds all the distances we've ever crossed and then some, Sam! If Jet had just fallen off the road then yeah, I'd dive right down the same spot he fell but that's not what happened here, he was sucked into a monster and spat out in some unknown and completely random location." Dean felt the anger and grief welling inside him, he could see it in Sam and neither of them could stop it from bubbling over.

"You're not even going to try, are you?" Sam snapped, refusing to lower his volume, "Jet's going to die and this time  _it'll be your fault._ "

"Sam," Castiel approached them, his voice gentle but stern, "Don't say that, it's completely unfair. Dean's right, we can't just leap into the Void without an idea as to where we're going. We'd die before we found him, and what good would we be to him then? Have patience, Sam." He knelt down and took Sam's hand in his own, "If he's alive we will find him, I promise you that."

"I've heard promises like that before," Sam frowned but didn't pull away, he gripped Castiel's hand tightly and sighed, "but not from you, so I'll do my best to believe it's true, Cas."

"Thank you," Cas hugged him and lightly pecked the side of his head, "Don't be so hard on your brother, okay?"

Sam looked up at Dean sorrowfully and nodded, "I'm sorry, Dean. I didn't mean it…"

Dean nodded, his expression a mixture of masked pain and false relief, "I know, Sam." He pulled both Sam and Cas into a hug, not letting go for some time.

"So it's settled, Sam's coming with?" Castiel asked after pulling away, looking between the brothers with some light heartedness. Dean wondered where he could have possibly gotten it from but he didn't ask.

"Yeah, looks that way." Sam pulled himself up and stepped away from the edge he'd been contemplating leaping off of for a day or two. "Hope that's okay with you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, welcome back Sam." Cas clapped him on the shoulder and looked over at John and Mary, "We're moving on, you two coming?"

John glanced at his wife for a second then back at them, "Of course, but I think we should pick a different world to help, it seems redundant to send two teams into just one."

Dean and Sam both looked instantly heartbroken and Cas couldn't bear to look at them that way for much longer, "Why? You just got here." Dean protested first.

"And once the worlds are saved we can spend all the time we have left together," Mary smiled sweetly and went to her boys' to offer some comfort - they took it willingly. "You two have gotten so big and so strong, I couldn't be prouder of you." She kissed each of them, "Your father and I need to do our part, we don't have the same heavy responsibility that you do but we can't slack off either. Everyone needs to be giving their all on this, that means us too."

"We understand, mom," Sam hugged her tighter and held it for a few seconds, "Thank you."

"We love you," Dean's expression was tight but it remained sturdy, he looked over at his dad who seemed to wear the same face as his own; trying not to cry about something. "Come back to us, okay?"

"I'll do my best, boys." John hugged them too and just like they'd arrived they went on their way, completely seamless. Dean watched the world they'd disappeared into for some time before he looked at Cas and Sam again, Sam hadn't turned away yet but Cas was looking at him.

"You'll have more time to talk to them later," Cas whispered and took both of their hands in his, it'd been a long time since he stood alone with just the Winchesters, he wasn't sure he liked it as much. "Are you two okay?"

"No," Sam pulled away and walked down the road toward one of the worlds with a desperately coloured flame. "But I'm working on it."

Dean bit the inside of his cheek lightly and shrugged as he held Cas' gaze, "I guess I'm in the same boat."

"It'll be alright, one way or another we'll get past this." Cas followed after Sam and Dean took up the rear, he saw two people ahead of him and it still pained him to know that if he turned around he wouldn't see a third. Jet might never come back to them and that was how they handled it, sitting alone, not talking about it and basically saying 'let's work, we'll get over it.'

Jet deserved better than that.

"Can I… Can I say something about him?" Dean called ahead to them to stop their pace and Sam almost didn't, he hesitated but turned around all the same.

"Of course," Cas smiled solemnly and nodded his head in Dean's direction.

"We should all… say something." Dean continued after swallowing past the lump in this throat that hadn't left since the vacuo incident. "Jet was my best friend, he was part of our family and we should all pay some respects to him, not sweep him under a proverbial rug of 'maybe he's alive' or 'work until the pain goes away.' I ain't having that, none of it okay? Jet's strong but all of this," he waved his arms in a grand gesture toward the world around them, "is so much bigger than him, than any of us. I'm not giving up on him; I would rather die than give up on a man who never gave up on me when I needed him. But he might not come back, not the same if he does. I loved him, I love both of you, and I'm hurting." Dean's jaw trembled and he nodded to try and reassure himself, "It hurts real bad but I want to make it clear I'm not moving on to forget him, to ignore the pain or any of that crap. I'm gonna do it for him, because he'd do it for me."

Sam and Cas both had tears on their faces and Dean was certain he did too, "That was beautiful, Dean." Cas spoke first, his tone shook but his voice didn't break, "I've never known someone like Jet but for him to become so close to the both of you, to be what he has been to you, I have so much respect for him. I've always fought this war in an empty mindset, grieving alone and broken up inside, I was hollow. Meeting the three of you has saved me from myself and filled me with a purpose, if I can dedicate even what's left of this battle to him and to you two it'd be the least I can do to repay that debt."

"How did you manage to go on that long?" Sam cracked and wiped the tears from his eyes, "After losing what you thought was the love of your life, how did you do it?"

Cas lowered his gaze and shook his head, "I don't know, Sam. After finding myself again with you three I can't fathom what I had been. But you won't have to do it alone, we're right here."

Sam bit his lip and nodded, his eyes shifted toward Dean then over the edge back into the Void, "I don't think he's dead, I refuse to believe that until I've seen or heard some proof. Jet never gave up on me, on any of us, but he had a bad habit of giving up on himself. He's was so stupid for coming with but so was I, I don't even know why he would have. He didn't owe us anything, he didn't have anything to do with this crazy world jumping and monster fighting but he wanted to stay with us. He wanted to keep me safe but he's gone," Sam grimaced and threw his arms down in a fit, "Jet's  _gone_  and what am I supposed to do without him? Who's going to keep me safe now, Jet!?" He shouted into the abyss around them, "You're lost and I can't fucking save you!"

Dean stepped closer but Cas lifted a hand to him and shook his head, "He needs to let this out, give him a moment."

"Fuck you, Jet! Fuck you for leaving, fuck you for pretending it'd be okay, and fuck you for always trying to fucking save me!  _I don't need saving!_  I have like five people saying they're going to protect me, I'm fine, I'm handled, even though I can take care of myself now I have a legion of helpers but  _you_  didn't! You were the one I was worried about, you dumbass!" Sam barely took a breath and when he did it was to shout, no words or anything just a scream into the air in frustration. "Get  _back_  here so I can punch you for being so fucking  _stupid!_ "

Sam's fit ended when his arms hung limp at his sides and he rolled his head back to stare up for some form of higher power, no help in sight. Dean went to him then and pulled him into another hug, this time he didn't budge and just held on. No words were exchanged when Castiel joined them; silence surrounded them for an uncounted number of minutes. It remained that way as they walked into the next portal, it didn't make a difference one way or the other but they held hands again on the way through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys this chapter has officially caught up to the version on fanfiction.net so now we'll all have to wait for updates (except me because I'm the author)


	76. Wild West: Not a Witch

**Wild West World: Part 1**

Dean looked around the moment he stepped out and felt his mouth tug up in a grin, "No way," he spun on his heel and took in the sights to really ground himself, "No way, no way, no  _way_!" Giddy was a good word to describe him but it didn't do it justice, Dean Winchester was so past giddy he was practically a thirteen-year-old version of himself again screaming about how he wanted to be a cowboy.

"Holy shit, Jet would have loved this," He remarked unthinkingly to himself.

"WINCHESTER!"

Dean turned around to see a western town, not crazy big but it was enough to have a railroad track, but that wasn't what caught his attention. The people looked horrified to see him and that was never a good sign, "Uh," he barely uttered a sound before people scattered and a few drew their guns. "Whoa there, fellas. I'm not the guy you're looking for,"

"Right, and I'm sure you didn't steal that fancy coat, neither." One of the men spat tobacco to the ground and Dean couldn't help but grin at how cool it was that he was there to see it.

"I didn't actually it was given to me." Dean reached back and pulled out his stick just in case, "But you guys seem busy so I guess I'll take off then." He flashed them the Winchester smile, no one seemed impressed and so he decided to get a move on. Just as he started to walk away he heard shots fired, Dean flinched but none of them were aimed his way, in fact they were actually on the other side of the row of buildings next to him.

With the commotion of the people reacting to a fight breaking out Dean dashed around the first building only to be nearly run over by quite the impressive horse. It reared up and he stumbled back, just in time to see another rider bolting across the road, gun aimed back toward a small gathering of armed townsfolk. Dean's gaze snapped up to see who he'd almost been flattened by, what he saw brought on the growing familiarity of pain in his chest. He swallowed thickly and stood properly as the horse and rider steadied themselves, Jet glared at him for the brief moment they shared eye contact.

"Jet! Let's go!" The other cowboy was Sam, shouting from where he'd stalled to wait.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jet's expression twisted into more confusion than pure rage, not that the anger disappeared though. "Come on, we gotta go." He reached down and instinctively Dean took his hand, finding himself on the back of a horse for the first time. He wrapped his arms around Jet to keep himself from falling and dug his fingers into Jet's shirt to hold on for dear life. It seemed fitting that he'd do this with Jet, though he expected his first horseback ride would be on his own horse and that it would be  _his_  Jet with him.

"What'd you guys do back there?" He asked in order to keep the 'clinging to his best friend' thing less weird, and earned an incredulous look from the rider.

"You kidding me? Did you get hit in the head or something?"

"Is that Dean?" Sam gawked as they caught up to him, his face a mixture of confusion and surprise. "Dean what are you doing here?"

"He was in the town back there for some goddamn reason." Jet spat and glowered over his shoulder, "And he doesn't know what's going on."

Sam furrowed his brow at his brother's doppelganger, "You feeling alright Dean?"

"Yeah I'm cool, but seriously what was up back there?"

"Chasing a shadow, like you're supposed to be doing." Jet replied, "Where'd you leave Cas? I thought we had a rendezvous point?" Dean didn't have an answer and when he saw the way Sam and Jet looked at one another he felt a little anxious for it.

"Well yeah, of course but- hey-!" He didn't get the chance to really lie his way around the issue; Jet stalled his horse and jerked Dean off the side like some kind of useless ragdoll. His knees hit the dirt and he tumbled along until the momentum his ride had built up eased out. Dean groaned and looked up in time to see Sam's boot come down on his chest and Jet's gun aimed to his temple.

"You possessed by it?" Sam snarled as he pulled his own weapon and angled it down.

"What? No, I'm not possessed!" Dean lifted his hands in surrender, "I'm as normal as I get."

"Bullshit," Jet knocked the side of the rifle against his head lightly, a warning tap more than anything.

"Okay wait, I'm not the same Dean. Yours is probably still with Cas doing whatever it is he's supposed to be doing." He explained calmly, the brief thought crossed his mind about how Castiel could have possibly gotten through so many worlds without having to explain himself every damn time. However he dismissed it, Cas hadn't had to tell someone that he was  _the other_  Castiel until he'd gone travelling with them. Hell, Cas was probably just as bad at explaining it as he was.

"You really are insane, aren't you?" Jet raised his eyebrows and exchanged another look with Sam who only shook his head.

"You're the ones talking about possession and chasing shadows, not me." Dean knew that if he did talk about everything that he'd been through this time around he might actually get shot, westerns weren't exactly the movies Dean watched for social tolerance.

"He's got a point," Jet was the first to relent, his eyes still on Sam who frowned even deeper at the comment.

"What, you want to just take him to the rendezvous point? It's too risky, Jet."

"How else do you suggest we figure out if he's lying or not? Look at him; he's not exactly dressed normally. I've never seen cloth like that."

Sam paused and looked down at Dean again, the priest's face lighting up with a grin, "Can you prove you're a different Dean without help?"

"I can prove I'm not from around here, if that's what you mean." Dean swallowed nervously but kept the smile on his face, he wouldn't ever be the type to say he was a fan of guns touching the side of his head. "I know where your shadow problems came from and I know how to fix it."

The two cowboys looked to one another skeptically, silent conversations passed between them and Dean wished he could figure out exactly what they were trying to communicate. Whatever it was it worked, Sam stepped off Dean's chest with a nod as Jet nudged him with the rifle again, "Get up, Winchester."

Dean pulled himself to his feet and looked between the two sheepishly, "So… you believe me?"

"It's worth the risk, besides we need to get to the rendezvous point and meet up with Cas." Sam pushed him toward his horse; "You're riding with me so Jet can keep an eye on you."

"Right," Dean glanced over at Jet again, an old familiar smirk on the other man's lips that amounted to nothing good in Dean's mind. "Well you'll see I'm not lying so I guess it's all I can ask for."

* * *

Castiel barely managed to orient himself in time to dodge out of the way of several galloping horses, there was gunfire and smoke but more importantly he heard the dramatic gasping of people. Cas looked up to see a small crowd of shocked faces, horror slowly sinking into their expressions.

"What in god's name…" A man muttered, his voice among the rising tide of terrified rambling.

He raised his hands to them slowly, "Don't be scared, it's not a big deal-"

"He's a witch!" Someone else shouted and Castiel cringed at the erupting response from the crowd turning mob.

"No, I'm not! I'm here to help with your otherworldly problems; I'm from another reality and-"

"Bullshit, Novak! We know who you are, filthy bandit!"

"Oh…" Cas trailed off and half smiled; his attention was paid to the people across from him but didn't let the slight gleam of a gun slip by his notice. "It was worth a shot, right?" Cas didn't waste time any further and dove to the ground just as the weapons fired his way. It was a swift roll and push off the ground to get himself behind the nearest building, Castiel pressed his back to the wall and exhaled heavily, relieved that he'd managed to move in time.

"Cas!" Dean's voice broke him out of his own thoughts and Cas looked up to see a horse speeding his way, "Hang on, I'll handle it!"

"Like hell you will," Castiel muttered under his breath and leapt onto the back of the cowboy's stallion, much to Dean's utter surprise. As they rode around the building again most of the mob had to scatter to save themselves the pain, the rest were launched several feet by a weaker spell Castiel uttered aloud.

"Holy shit," Dean gawked as he glanced over his shoulder, "What did you just do?"

"I'm a priest."

"Whoa, what?! Since when?"

Cas smirked at him, "I'll explain in a minute, just get us out of here." he dropped down behind Dean and held on as they sped out of dangerous territory.

As soon as they were safe Dean stopped Impala and hopped off to look at Cas better, "Where's your horse?"

"I don't have one," Cas slipped to the ground gracefully and stepped away from the majestic creature, "I'm not your Castiel, I'm a high priest of the Faith and-" He stopped when he saw the pistol in Dean's hands, the barrel pointed right at his head.

"Get the fuck out of him you goddamn shadow. I'll blow both your heads off if I have to." Dean warned, vicious anger in his tone.

Cas pursed his lips but didn't flinch at the weapon, "Okay two things, one; I'm not possessed. And two, no you wouldn't."

Dean's face twitched and he snarled but lowered the gun, "Then what are you doing?"

"Like I said I'm from another dimension," Cas explained again, still keeping track of the gun, "I'm here to fix this 'shadow' problem you seem to have. What do they look like? Ghosts or actual shadows?"

"Both?" Dean shrugged, still on edge but slowly holstering his pistol. "They look like men but with no detail whatsoever, like 3-dimensional shadows or something. These things take people over and they're not anything like they're supposed to be, they act different and weird until the shadow either leaves or gets pushed out."

"Spiritus," Cas sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "How many, do you know?"

"There's one leader, it got into someone we know and hasn't left. It's got about ten followers, they jump around hosts but can't seem to stay like the first one did." Dean furrowed his brow and looked Cas over, "You really know this kind of stuff?"

"Yes, there's a long story to go with all of this but to summarize, there's something called the Void taking over the universe and my group is fighting back."

"Where is it? Are these spiritus things the soldiers or what?"

Cas shook his head, "Sort of, they're one of many kinds of creatures sneaking into the different worlds. We go in and take them down."

Dean frowned and folded his arms over his chest, "So you're not fighting this Void thing directly?"

"It doesn't work like that."

"Because?"

"As far as anyone is aware there is no source to the Void. I haven't come across anything that can just be killed and all of this stops, it's surrounding all worlds." Cas felt his mouth pulling tight in a sneer as he spoke; he was starting to get sick of saying the same thing over and over again. He felt like a broken record.

"How'd it start doing all this then? Something must've done it." Dean wasn't having any of his excuses, apparently.

"A seal was broken in a different timeline and ever since then all priests have been trying to find a way to end it."

"Can't you just… reseal it?"

"If I knew how, maybe."

Dean nodded slowly and tapped his foot with another shrug of his shoulders, "And the whole world depends on your success?"

"Yeah."

"Well," he smirked and scoffed softly, "We're all doomed."

"Shut up."


	77. Wild West: Spiritus

**Wild West World: Part 2**

Castiel adjusted his hat and exhaled slowly as he peered around the side of a bank, Dean had let loose all of the tied horses and spooked them into a stampede which left Cas to take care of the rest. There was a plan in place to escape if something went wrong, and to be fair neither of them expected a mob of towns people but Cas wasn't about to give up. Dean seemed to get out of there, Cas hadn't quite seen what happened but Dean was gone with a flourish of some crazy display.

Cas remembered a time when he would've panicked about Dean leaving him like that, he'd be nervous and an anxiety train wreck. Not anymore, he'd seen his fair share of trouble and even jumped off a train or two himself. Life wasn't as simple as it had been back at his father's tavern but that didn't mean much, life was  _better_  and Cas enjoyed every forsaken second of it.

Michael was in his sights now, their original target for a plan that had actually worked out pretty damn well. Michael, or at least the thing possessing Michael, was distracted enough by the commotion going on that he hadn't noticed Cas' presence. And that was perfect, except something else happened that made everything so much stranger.

Sam appeared. Out of nowhere he appeared near Michael and Cas had no words in his vocabulary to really explain what he'd seen.

"What the fuck…" came closest.

The outlaw tipped his hat to whatever gods were watching him at that moment and moved in.

Sam in the meantime stood face to face with a man he'd met before but something just wasn't right about him. "Michael?" He wasn't sure if it even was the same guy, his expression was so distorted.

"Hello, what's this?" Michael sneered and his face pulled back unnaturally for a human, "The priests are here I see."

Sam's eyes widened a bit, "You're from the Void, aren't you?" He didn't skip a beat or hesitate, if that was true he needed to know it.

"Well I wouldn't know to call them priests if I weren't, now would I?" Michael grabbed Sam's shirt and pulled him up close, "Where's your brother?"

"Killing scum like you. Where's my boyfriend?" He spat indignantly, his teeth ground together as he fought the swell of fear in him. He didn't ever want to get that close to something able to possess people again but there he was. Sam wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to talk to a Void creature that could speak, that could give him answers.

"Killing scum like  _you._ " Michael wound back to strike when a shot suddenly rang through the air. The shadow-possessed man froze when he realized the arm he was about to use wasn't functioning the way it should. Sharp eyes snapped back to the cowboy approaching from around the building behind them, a long coat flowing in the wind and a hat tilted down to shade his face. "You pain in my side! Look what you've done to my fucking body!"

"It's not your body, get out of him." Cas levelled the pistol at Michael's head, "I won't hesitate to put a friend out of his misery."

Sam shook his head, "No! Don't kill him yet Cas, I need answers!"

Cas furrowed his brow but had to leap out of the way of an assaulting possessed man, the random townsman lunged after him with vigor. "Son of a bitch!" Castiel swore and shot him in the leg, twice for good measure. There were others that went after though, all the captivated people on Michael's side bolted forward, their faces stretching in awkward expressions of anger and fear. The humans inside fought for their freedom but none of them managed to capture it.

Sam squirmed and ducked out of his over-shirt, leaving Michael to hold onto an empty fabric. He looked at the man better from further away and realized that Cas had managed to shoot the guy's elbow so precisely that he'd blown apart the joint almost entirely. Whoever this Michael was to them he wouldn't have a left forearm anymore. "So Jet's alive?" He asked the creature as it inspected its missing limb.

"I liked this body, you know? It was nice, something decent to walk around in but then  _you all had to break it!_ " It hissed and flickered as it looked up at Sam a little more viciously, the shadow bled through its host a few times before regaining control. "Do you know how hard it is to hold onto a body when it's in pain? I don't want to feel this shit!"

"Tell me where Jet is!" Sam shouted again, taking steps away as Michael stalked toward him, "What happened to him?"

"The king has him now!" Michael shrieked and charged for him.

"RUN!" Castiel caught Sam's arm and bolted with the young man at his side. They stumbled over debris and bodies as they sprinted out of there. The townspeople were still around, all in shock about how they'd let Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak get away. And left in even more surprise when they saw Castiel again, the outlaw dressed this time as they expected and escaping in the same direction.

"There he is! Get him!" They hollered and an uproar among the people echoed.

"What did you even do to these people!?" Sam called to Cas who answered with a loud whistle first.

"No time to explain, just run!"

Sam kept up with the cowboy version of his friend but nearly tripped over himself when a gorgeous white horse galloped out of nowhere. It ran up alongside Castiel who grabbed the saddle and flung himself up before reaching down for Sam. The young Winchester grit his teeth and made a break for it, attempting to mimic Cas' movement but ultimately it was Cas that got him on the horse. Sam held tight to Cas' waist as bullets flew past them at an uncomfortably close distance.

The wind blew through his hair and for a second Sam felt better, adrenaline rushed through his veins mimicking blood, his mind was washed clean of questions and all he thought about was running. Running away, the enemy behind him, a clear cut of black and white never felt so good. Sam looked back again and felt his heart leap in his throat a second time that day, the shadow-possessed were on their tail and inhumanly quick. "They're fast, Cas!"

"I know, we need to lose them." Castiel leaned in close to his horse and clicked his tongue, his heel lightly pinching her side to encourage her to go faster. And she did, Sam gripped Cas a little bit tighter and tried not to think about motion sickness as they tore around bends and leapt over obstacles.

It was wild, even after all the things that Sam had done up to that point he still thought it was amazing. Horseback riding was incredible and beautiful, the animals were so powerful and lovely, and it just gave a sense of freedom like nothing else; a back-to-nature sort of feeling.

The chase was over too quickly for Sam, Castiel managed to get far enough ahead that Michael's group lost sight of them. They rode hard for a little while longer until Cas got his mare to slow down and duck into a naturally made cove in a dried out river bed. They went far enough in that someone would have to be fairly close to see them inside and took a moment to relax.

"What the hell did you do back there?" Sam asked again, motioning toward the town.

"Saved your butt, you're welcome." Cas sighed and ran his hand down the side of his horse's face, petting her gently.

"No, I mean…. Thank you, but what did the townspeople want from you?"

"I'm associated with some bad-named outlaws," Cas shrugged and smiled over at him, "Wrong place, wrong time, misconstrued stories and voila, bad reputation."

"That was a hell of a bad reputation." Sam leaned against the cave wall and slid down to the ground; his hands pushed up into his hair and parted it away from his face like his mom had done before.

"Yeah, not much I can do about it now. I don't really mind though," Castiel strolled to Sam's side and dropped down next to him. "I actually shot him…"

"Yeah, you shot a few people."

"Michael was the Sheriff where I grew up, I can't believe I shot him." Cas took off his hat and looked at it quietly.

Sam was silent for a bit as he watched Castiel trace the rim of his cowboy hat sadly. "Did Michael give you that hat?"

"No," Cas chuckled and ran his hand over the top of it, "It was the first thing I ever stole actually."

Sam smirked, "So he tried to hunt you down for it?"

"Wrong again, actually I used to be the owner of a tavern in his town. One day I went to a caravan to check out their stock and put on this hat. Me and several others were kidnapped by a gang of bandits, tossed onto a train and taken away. After the escape and rescue I just sort of walked away with this thing." He replaced it atop his head and leaned back. "Michael was one of the people responsible for getting me out safely, he's always been there for me and I shot him…"

"Just his arm." Sam offered supportively, "He'll live, Cas."

The outlaw turned to him and a smile pulled at his lips again, "I guess you're right… So what's going on? Who are you?"

"Sam Winchester, you've probably met someone like me."

"No one that looked quite the way you do. You're younger than he is I think. Not to mention you act differently."

"Is it that obvious I'm not a cowboy?"

"Oh hell yeah."

They shared a quiet laugh and let the conversation slip away again. The sun was slowly disappearing and the area grew darker by the second.

"To answer your question," Sam pulled his knees up and held them there, "I'm travelling with another Castiel and my brother Dean, we're on a mission to stop monsters like the ones that possessed your friend."

"How does that work? How do you kill those things?"

"I can't, only Dean and Cas can. They're some crazy high priest things, prophecy and all that. I'm along for the ride, I guess." He'd never felt so useless, before he was a little justified in being there when he wasn't a third wheel but now it was just –'oh Sam's here.' Or maybe 'we have no idea where Sam is, better go find him.'

"Don't sell yourself short, Sam." Cas reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, "I used to think I was just along for the ride but you're so much more than that to everyone you travel with, okay? I'm just as significant to the team as anyone else is, I don't know about you but ours is more of a family than a team. We matter to one another and I'm certain you're a whole lot more than you think you are."

"What if I'm not?"

"That's just in your head, you're the only one that sees it that way." Castiel insisted and somehow it felt right hearing it from him.

"You really were just a bartender, huh?"

"Yeah, useless until I needed to not be. You'd be surprised what you're capable of."

Another quiet moment shared between them and Sam appreciated it more than anything, it wasn't  _his_  Cas per se but he had the same feeling about him.

"So what do we do now?" Sam asked softly.

"I think it's safe to head to the rendezvous point, Dean'll be worried about me."

The two pulled themselves away from the wall and stood up, each stretched and went to the horse's side, "What's her name?" Sam carefully ran his hand along the hair of its mane.

"I called her Angel, not very creative but I don't really care, it suits her." Castiel pulled himself up and helped Sam behind him, "Let's go girl," he whispered and clicked his tongue again. Angel whinnied and complied, trotting out of their hiding place and across the terrain.

"How far do we have to go?" Sam called.

"Not far, should get there before twilight."

Sam nodded and looked ahead to the horizon, the creature's words swimming in his head.

_Killing scum like you._

_The king has him now!_

' _That thing I saw in Futurum, whatever it was controlling him in that vision it's doing it now. He's alive and he's out here somewhere.'_  Sam clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes as the thought settled in his mind,  _'Whatever you are, you'd better get the fuck out of my boyfriend.'_


	78. Wild West: Easy Kill

**Wild West World: Part 3**

_Earlier_

The rendezvous point was abandoned, Dean hopped off of Chevy, Sam's horse, and Jet slid from his stallion with ease. They were the first ones to arrive. Sam and Jet exchanged a look, nothing was proven yet and there was no way they could definitely trust Dean.

"Sit there," Jet shoved him toward a pile of rubble and Dean cooperated, his family was most likely on their way right to him after all.

"So you guys are gonna treat me like a criminal until proven innocent, is that it?"

"You showed up at a bad time," Sam gave a strained smile and quick nod of his head to answer his question.

"Cool," Dean twiddled his thumbs and looked around, waiting impatiently for anyone else to show up.

It took far too long, the sun was on the verge of setting and no one had arrived yet. He was hoping someone would've been waiting for him there to prove him right but as his luck would hold out, no one was around. He watched Sam and Jet talking just out of earshot, they kept an eye on him but Dean intended to wait for his friends so he didn't find it necessary. It was nice to see them together though; he smiled at the sight and just let it linger on his retinas for a while longer.

"Looks like they're back and it's… Dean and Cas." Sam muttered and glanced at their captive again, "Okay there are two Deans."

"So he was right, and if he was then that's not our Cas." Jet gave his approaching friend a wave, Impala slowed his pace and trotted into the area.

The outlaw Dean glanced over at his priest-self and then back to Sam and Jet, "You guys have been having some adventures without me?"

"One or two," Sam smirked and motioned for his brother's duplicate to come closer, "Alright you can come over here now."

"Thank you," Dean hustled over to Castiel's side and gave his partner a hug, "Have you seen Sam?"

"Not yet, I was hoping he'd be here." Cas replied, his eyes darted over to Jet and Dean watched him make the strangest face. Cas looked happy to see Jet but it was strained, sadness swelled in his eyes as he turned his gaze back to Dean. "It's odd seeing him, knowing we won't…"

"We won't be meeting up with ours, I know what you mean." Dean sighed and hugged Cas again, he wasn't sure if the embrace was for himself, for Castiel, or both but he figured they both needed it. "But for now they're missing their Cas and we're missing Sam. I can only assume they're together."

"That's the pattern."

The three cowboys stood together and regarded the two strangers with some interest before huddling again, "So what do we know?" Dean asked his brother and old friend.

"First where's Cas?" Sam furrowed his brow at his brother and the outlaw shrugged guiltily.

"He wanted to confront Michael, I told him that if shit went bad we'd high-tail it out of there to the rendezvous point. I'm guessing he doesn't intend to give up so easily on an old friend of his."

"That dumb fuck." Jet shook his head, "So we going back out there to get him?"

"No," Sam was the first to say, "He might've escaped a different direction, he'll be heading here and we need to wait for him."

"So, then what do we all know about these weird doppelgangers?" Dean tried to change the subject to something that didn't involve his boyfriend.

"Different reality stuff, save the world babble, and something about taking out the shadows." Jet replied matter-of-factly. "Oh, and they don't have another me which I find racist."

Sam scoffed, "Racist how?"

"I don't know, racist against the Jet species?"

"Stop talking before you sound stupider than you already do."

Dean cleared his throat to get their attention again, "That other Cas said those things were called Spiritus, apparently they  _can_  take care of them. I'm not sure how exactly but he did some weird magic shit so I'm not putting anything past him." Dean furrowed his brow as he muttered his words carefully, he didn't want the strangers to hear. "What's the plan then? Trust them?"

Sam bit his lip and glanced at the priests who respectfully kept their distance from the pow-wow. "I'm not sure, for now maybe but don't over look them. If they can take down these, whatever you called them –Spiritus, then they can probably fight us pretty easily too."

"What are you talking about? They look like pussies, look at how clean they are." Jet motioned a little dramatically toward the strangers, "Probably haven't been in a real fight in their lives."

"I wouldn't judge 'em so quick," Dean tilted his head as he regarded Cas a little more, "That one has some tricks up his sleeves."

Jet followed Dean's gaze, his face scrutinizing as he contemplated it until he conceded. The three broke their huddle and went to approach the other Dean and Castiel, "You guys want to fill us in on what's happening around here?" Jet asked them, "We've got some time to kill."

The priests shared a look and shrugged, "Sure, allow me." Castiel said and Dean sat down to listen to it, even though he'd heard pretty much all of it before it was nice to get a recap. But more than that he loved the way Castiel spoke about it all, it'd been his life for so long he just knew the ins and outs of the worlds. Cas went through the basics of the Faith and the Void, high priests and what they can do, and even a little on the concept of the celestial beings behind it all.

"My time alone was difficult and spanned more years than I'd care to share, but over that entire period of time I got almost nothing done. Just as I explained before, all priests have a partner, someone they share an intimate bond with. But it's more than that; the connection between priests is what gets them into the worlds that matter. The worlds and realities that make a difference in this struggle of ours were locked off to me until I found Dean," Cas smiled at his lover and received a grin in return, "After that the newest part of the Mainline opened to us."

"Sounds complicated," Outlaw Dean remarked after taking a swig from his flask, "From what you told me earlier you don't know how to stop this Void thing, right? How do you know there's an end to all of it?"

"I have faith it will end, but more than that I believe in the skills of all the priests that are fighting out there. There is a team prophesied to end it all, that wording alone tells me that there has to be something to finish this. I just haven't found it yet." Castiel pointedly omitted the part that he and Dean were the ones he was talking about, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Jet raised an eyebrow but didn't mention whatever had really crossed his mind, "So is every priest looking for a way to stop it or just you guys?"

Dean shrugged as he shook his head, "We've only met a couple of other teams but from what I can tell they're all fighting and who's to say they aren't keeping an eye on for a way to finish this? We've realized that it'll take more than brute strength and determination to fight the Void, that's all. I'm pretty sure there's more to it than all that."

"But you haven't figured that out yet?" The other Dean squinted at him in the setting sunlight. "It's one of the most important parts to winning against this thing and you don't really have that figured out?"

"The more answers we find the more questions we have," Cas explained further with a hint of annoyance, "It's not easy, if you'd like to trade places be our guest. I'd gladly settle down somewhere else."

The amount of aggression in his tone didn't slip past his partner; Dean looked at Cas' strained expression and realized just how much it'd all gotten to him. Castiel looked his way and Dean tried to offer a smile but it didn't feel right, Cas needed something else. He pulled his lover over, a hand slipped into the soft dark hair on the back of Cas' head and Dean rested their foreheads together. Words weren't exchanged but they stared at one another for a long moment.

Cas' eyes shifted from angry to tired and he closed them, a heavy breath exhaled between the two priests. "I'm sorry."

"You've been through a lot, sometimes I forget you used to be married, lived a quiet life and all that." Dean's mouth pulled up in a mild smirk, "You don't have anything to be sorry about, Cas."

"Incoming," Jet interrupted their intimacy abruptly, his voice sharp as he stood at attention with his hand on his holster. "Team of horses and I doubt Cas is part of it."

"Son of a bitch." Dean and Sam stepped forward in unison and drew their guns in the same breath. They'd run out of options.

"We should run." Sam suggested, "Cas wants Michael alive."

"We have to stay here until Cas gets back," Dean argued and leveled his pistol at Michael's head. "I'm not gonna wait until they're on us."

"Hold on!" Castiel rushed in front of them, his hands raised to stop Dean's assault, "Don't kill the host, we can save them."

"Then do it." Sam demanded, ready to follow his brother's lead.

Cas looked at his partner, "Go on."

"What?" Dean sputtered, "What happened to that  _we_  stuff?"

"I can kill the Spiritus but it kills the host. Remember? I can't remove a possessor."

Dean opened his mouth to speak but shrugged, "Alright, fair enough." He turned and rushed to meet the onslaught of enemies, his stick drawn and already transformed into a flat disc. He angled the reflective surface toward Michael's horse; Dean did his best to distract the creature with the sun's light and grinned when it worked out in his favour. Michael's ride reared up and as the head of the pack stalled, the rest bolted past.

He recalled Sam's possession and the feeling that had coursed through him. Without the panic and fear of losing someone important to him, it was actually a lot simpler than he'd made it out to be. Just like Cas had done countless times before him Dean lifted a hand toward the rushing men and women and let his magic take over.

In a quick flash of light their bodies fell into a slow motion pocket in time, the spiritus burst out of their backs and sprawled over in complete delirium. Dean grinned as Castiel flowed ahead of him, as graceful as he'd ever been before and as always caught Dean's attention. He was wicked and so fast, Cas brought down a league of pain onto the creatures before them and in the same motion obliterated the shadowy figures. Dark particles evaporated into the air around him as he stepped over the unconscious bodies of the Void's victims, Dean just loved watching Cas work.

Michael hadn't stopped his charge despite the distraction but found that he couldn't change his mind soon enough. Dean stood at Cas' side and the spiritus leader knew with certainty that he was at the mercy of the high priests.

Dean knocked the man possessed off his horse and easily pinned him down to the ground, Castiel's gun pressed to the back of his skull for good measure. The cowboys whistled amongst themselves and exchanged quick looks.

"Alright, maybe not a bunch of pussies." Jet conceded with a laugh, "Damn."

"You're the first sentient Void filth we've run into in a while," Cas snarled at the thing, "Before I blow you to kingdom come, you have anything you'd like to say?"

Michael's shoulders trembled as he started to laugh, a deranged smile spread across his lips, "Kill me, it won't stop him."

"Who?" Dean barked as he twisted the man to face him, "What's he doing?"

"Our king, the Imperator." It boasted as it fell into hysterical laughter, "He's finally got a body to rule in and you're all going to die!  _All of you are dead!"_

Dean and Castiel turned to one another and Cas shook his head; no more need to speak to a monster that had lost its mind. Dean sent a jolt through Michael's body and the spiritus leader surged to the surface of its host's skin and exploded out the opposite side. Michael collapsed immediately and Cas angled his gun appropriate to shoot the leader in the head. The same burst of black spurted into the air around them, the whole scene the outlaws in surprise at how easily their problem had been handled.

"Your friend's alive, his arm was injured it appears, but no less living." Cas addressed them without looking their way, his eyes on the festering darkness as it disappeared.

As they stood in silence for a short time Dean noticed the sound of horses again, "Someone else is coming," he called and looked to where it was coming from. Ahead he saw one horse and two men riding it, "I think it's Sam."

Everyone squinted first and a soft sigh of relief was heard, "Thank god," Dean muttered as he took off his hat.

"Worried about him, huh?" Jet elbowed his friend and received a jab right back.

"Obviously, weren't you?"

"Nah, Cas can handle himself."

The two rode up and looked around, "Looks like we missed a hell of a party." Cas grinned and hopped off Angel, "Anything I ought to know?"

"Michael's alive, just unconscious," Dean went to hug him but it became much more than that when his boyfriend caught him in a kiss. Their tongues slipped past one another's lips and their arms tightened around each other.

"You left me there," Cas muttered when they broke apart, his face lit up like a tavern open late into the night.

"You were supposed to be right behind me." Dean kissed him again and nuzzled his cheek. "Glad you're okay though."

The two priests went to Sam's side as he carefully climbed down, "Never thought I'd ride one of those," he admitted sheepishly.

Dean stood between Sam's gaze and where the other Jet was standing, "Same, it was a wild ride too."

"Tell me about it, for a second I thought I was in one of your old westerns or something." Sam laughed softly and glanced over at the world's original inhabitants. Dean knew the instant Sam's eyes caught a glimpse of his boyfriend's duplicate.

"It's not him, Sam." Dean whispered as his brother passed by.

"I know, just… just let me do this okay?" Sam replied softly and went to get a better look.

Jet was attempting to keep his eyes away from the loving couple so Sam's approach wasn't unwelcome, "Hey other Sam," he greet casually.

"Hi," Sam barely managed the single word as he strained to keep a straight face. He just stood there after though, taking in the sight of a ghost in his mind.  _'He's not dead.'_  He reminded himself.  _'He's waiting to see you, he's out here somewhere and you have to find him, quit fucking around.'_

"You okay?" Jet furrowed his brow at him and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, fine." He turned back to Cas and Dean, "We done here?"

"I guess so, yeah." Dean shrugged as Cas nodded the same.

"Good, come on we should keep going."

Cas went to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Did you want to rest first-"

"No, let's go." Sam interrupted impatiently and motioned in front of him, "Make the portal."

"Alright," Dean looked over at their cowboy counterparts one more time to admire himself and how awesome he looked, "Thanks again guys, good luck I guess."

"You too," his other self grinned and waved them off.


	79. Playboy Mommy: The King

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wonder what 'Playboy Mommy' is, it's an old fic I wrote with my friend Matsu. It can be found on my Fanfiction.net account if you want to read it

**Mainline**

Dean and Castiel watched Sam as he hurried ahead, neither sure what to say, "We should tell him," Cas spoke first, "What the spiritus said, it's something he'd want to know."

"I don't know," Dean shook his head, "Sam's been through a lot, maybe we shouldn't tell him this one."

"Oh no you don't, Dean Winchester." Cas scolded and stepped in front of him, fierce blue eyes glaring angrily, "I will not allow you to lie to your brother, I'm going to tell him." He turned and caught up to Sam's side.

"Cas!" Dean protested but had nothing more than that to say, he didn't know how to explain why he thought Sam shouldn't know. Sam needed to heal and hearing that some king monster down there finally had a body to work in didn't help that.

"Sam, there's something I should tell you." Cas started softly.

"Likewise," Sam looked at him tiredly, "I talked to the lead spiritus thing before you guys killed him. I wanted more information but I guess there's no helping when it attacks, so I'm not mad at you but I wish you would've waited."

"What'd it tell you?" Cas appraised Sam's appearance again, making sure he wasn't actually injured and they hadn't noticed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine; you tell me what you wanted to say, I'll explain what it said after." He watched Cas who nodded.

"Well I basically asked it if it had any last words, it told me that their king has a new body and is on the rise. It said we're all going to die."

Sam's eyes widened a little and he looked away, "I asked it about Jet." He looked at his brother as Dean stood at his other side, his expression showing the pain they all felt. "The spiritus told me that their king has him now, so I guess we know what body to be looking for."

Dean ran his hand through his hair and shook his head, "Goddamn it, Jet…"

Cas hung his head for a moment and they all stood in silence as the thought sunk in, "Imperator, that's what it called its king. I don't know how to beat it but that doesn't mean we can't do it."

"Cas you can't fight him," Sam insisted defensively, "You kill the host when you fight a possessing monster, you have to be the last resort okay?"

"I understand your concerns, Sam." Castiel looked at him sympathetically but his face held a level of ruthlessness Dean remembered from their first meetings, "But if Jet were to be involved with killing any of us he'd never forgive himself. If it comes down to it, I will take his life."

Silence fell again, tense and heavy as Cas' words lingered.

Sam swallowed thickly and nodded once, "Fine."

As they looked at one another a loud echoing sound exploded around them, Dean snapped his gaze down the mainline and watched as several worlds broke away. "What's going on!?"

"The Void," Cas shouted as he ran past them down the road, "It's moving faster, it's organized itself!"

Another crack vibrated through the air and the next world's fires went out as it plummeted into the darkness below. "No!" Castiel yelled in vain, Dean caught his arm and pulled him to a stop. Cas struggled but ultimately couldn't beat Dean's strength, "No, no, no, no,  _no_!" His fingers gripped Dean's arm as he watched billions of lives fall away, worlds that would never grow again, people who'd die slowly and never understand it. People he should have saved.

"Cas!" Dean held him tightly and made him stay in one place as the damage was done, "We can't help them now."

Cas didn't reply, he just stared in awe at the sight of so many worlds slipping away. He quickly looked back to see the ones they'd already visited, to know if what they'd done mattered at all. To his relief they were still standing, where they had done their jobs they'd done it right. "I can't believe this is happening," He breathed and dropped his head against Dean's shoulder, hiding his face from it all.

"Their king is in power again," Sam muttered quietly, "That means whichever world that's in the most danger is where he is, we need to move."

"Take a second, Sam." Dean looked at him seriously.

"We can't," Sam insisted, "He's going to keep doing this we need to move!"

"He's right," Cas pulled away and rubbed his face to try and wipe away the anxiety, "We need to find him and put an end to all this."

Dean looked at the worlds ahead and watched as the fires blazed, the one with the harshest flame would be their next destination, "That one," he pointed to it, "They're all in trouble but that one looks worst."

"Hurry then." Cas motioned to it, "You're faster Dean, I'll follow Sam in."

Dean did as he was told and led the way inside, his family right behind him.

* * *

**Playboy Mommy World: Part 1**

Dean felt his skin go cold and his heart stutter to a near stop in his chest, he'd stepped down into what he thought might be a puddle but he found it was a pool of blood. There was bodies everywhere, stacked and thrown, pieces scattered and one crafted center piece. On the same cross hung three young men, their bodies brutalized and stripped of all their pride. Dean, Sam, and Castiel all sewn together in ways no human should have been twisted.

It made him sick and Dean had to look away, "Oh my god…" he gasped and tried to look at anything else. He immediately saw Cas and Sam standing together facing the same grotesque image as he was.

"What on earth…" Cas whispered and lowered his gaze, "are we too late?"

"No." Sam spoke levelly though the tremble in his voice didn't go unnoticed, "He's here."

They both followed Sam's gaze, past the symbol of the world to where a familiar figure stood. Jet was smiling at them; his clothes had changed from his usual t-shirt and sweater to a dark button-up and just like his stance it didn't quite look right. His mouth pulled wider as his grin grew, "Miss me?" It sounded kind of like him but it had that edge from the vision, that other voice lingering inside his own.

Sam took a shaky breath and walked forward, "You haven't… been gone that long."

Jet tilted his head a little but didn't stop smiling, "Aww, Sam you break my heart."

"You're not Jet."

"You wish I wasn't." Jet gestured to the gruesome sight, "How do you like it? I've been making one everywhere I go."

"You're sick, Imperator." Castiel spat viciously, "Give us our friend back."

Jet watched them for a moment and raised his hands, the ground began to shake and break open. "Come and get him."

Dean instinctively grabbed onto Sam and leapt out of the way of falling debris, the city around them started to crumble and the surface broke apart. "This is just like-" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw the enormous hand reaching out of the ground.

" _Gigas!_ " Castiel shouted as he dove the other way. The earth shook violently and if it weren't for their priest status they wouldn't have been standing. Parts of the ground shot out and dislodged themselves as everything was forcibly moved out of the monster's way. They could hear Jet's laughter, skewed and corrupted as it was.

They ran as fast as they could, jumping and leaping as the world around them erupted into chaos. Dean passed Sam over to Cas, "Get to Jet! I'll take care of this fucker!" For Sam it was horrifying to be tossed like that but Castiel caught him no problem, aside from their size difference.

"Hang onto me, Sam." Cas growled out and separated from Dean's path. He used momentum to run nearly vertically up a new canyon wall, Jet stood on top of the plateau like the king he thought he was. They heard the screeching roar of the gigas as Dean started in on it but that didn't slow Cas down, he caught a ledge and threw himself and Sam up higher. It took an incredible amount of upper body strength but he managed it. Sam swung onto his back to get out of the way, hanging on with his own strength and not bothering Cas with it.

They climbed quickly, Sam looked down below them and his eyes widened in a panic, "Cas! Cas the ground is coming to meet us!"

Castiel looked down to see that another part of the earth had been severely displaced and had created a fast moving rocket-mountain. He readied himself and jumped at the opportune moment, his velocity upward matched the speed of the new plateau well enough that when they were hit by it they were barely jostled. The two knelt down as it shot them upward, Cas counting the seconds, "Hang on!" He yelled and dove off again, they were a little above the surface Jet stood on but the fall wasn't too far.

Castiel immediately rose to his feet and drew his Pernach, "Get out of him." He demanded.

Sam felt his heart leap into his throat but he trusted Cas not to just fire, he trusted that Cas would try to save Jet before killing him so brutally. Cas owed Jet at least that much, didn't he?

"If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that one," Jet chuckled and shook his head, "Sorry Cassie, not gonna happen."

A shadow swung overhead and they all had to look as the gigas charged wildly in any direction, its eyes gouged and part of its body blown clean off. Sam blindly reached until he caught Cas' coat again, "Cas…"

"I see it." Castiel threw his gun back into his jacket and flung an arm around Sam. As the gigas crashed into their pillar Cas leapt forward, running up the monster's arm and over its shoulder. Dean rushed past them going the opposite direction and heading straight for Jet. Their possessed friend remained on the plateau as it hurdled to the ground, the gigas stumbling with it. Dean coated his arm in the malleable weapon he'd created and wound up for the giant creature. The moment his feet touched down on solid ground Dean gave himself an extra burst of speed as he jumped, bursting straight through the monster's head.

Castiel and Sam managed to get a safe distance away, the entire span of their escape was in the mess of an earth shattering quake but they made it. As soon as they managed to put their feet on the ground and look to where Dean had been they saw piles of rubble and the monster didn't move again. Cas exhaled shakily and let go of Sam for what he hoped was the last time.

Sam barely breathed as he let the image settle, "Oh god…" he wheezed and covered his mouth, "Is he… is he dead?" Tears welled up in his eyes despite his efforts to blink them back. "That couldn't have killed him, right?"

Cas put a hand on his shoulder, "Let's get over there and check it out, alright? See for ourselves."

They made the quick trip around to where Dean was stumbling out of a pile of rubble as well. He looked up at them, blood trickling down his face from wounds on his forehead, little injuries littering his body. "I couldn't quite get clear," he said with a soft laugh, "Finally healed enough to stand up again."

Cas smiled at him, "Glad you're alive."

"Likewise, I wasn't expecting another gigas to be honest." Dean looked over at Sam who stared at them both with silent horror. "What's wrong, Sam?" Cas moved in front of him a little to see his face.

"Futurum, remember this scene?" Sam asked and they both furrowed their brows, at least until they heard the rocks move behind Dean.

"You dropped a mountain on me," Jet's voice broke through a little more as he started to pull himself free, "That hurts my feelings, Dean."

The mere thought that this monstrosity could pretend to be Jet and do it so poorly irritated Dean to no end. He turned to face the familiarity that was Jet's image but lacked all the substance, "Don't pretend we're friends, what the hell do you want?"

"Your love, your loyalty," Jet listed as he climbed the rest of the way out of the mess and debris, his clothes filthy as he did it. "Your life. I want everything you are, Dean. I want you to bend down for me; I want all the priests to kiss my feet, the ground I walk on, and to hold me highest in their lives. And then I want to break it down. I'll take you apart," he hissed and that awful blackness oozed from his orifices like they'd seen before. "I'll tear your family  _apart_! And I'll let you watch, I'll let you join in, and then, if I feel merciful, I'll let you die."

"You're not Bane from the Dark Knight Rises; you can't give that kind of permission." Dean joked as they slowly crept around one another, he felt his body tense up and knew that whatever this king was it made Jet more of a threat than he'd ever been. "So what's the reason? Why do you want any of that?"

"Just because, do I really need one?"

"You kind of do." Dean scoffed at the relaxed attitude his foe displayed.

"Says who? What grandiose being did you meet that told you that everything has meaning and purpose? Sorry to say, pretty boy, not everything does. I'm doing it because I just want to. A little present for me, a vacation, something to do, I don't care what reasons you give me just know that I'm doing it." Jet grinned again and cracked his neck, "So let's do this, chosen one."

Dean exhaled slowly and slid his feet into position, "Bring it on."


	80. Playboy Mommy: Say Something

_-"Say Something, I'm giving up on you"-_

* * *

**Playboy Mommy World: Part 2**

Sam watched the fight unfold as if he were numb; Dean and Jet went blow for blow and nothing seemed to be effective. The monster in Jet brought his strength much higher than it should have been, he matched Dean's somehow and Sam couldn't wrap his mind around it. Did it destroy Jet's body to do that? How did this Imperator even get in? He wanted to talk to Jet, needed to talk to him again.

" _I'll catch up."_

' _Part of you did but this doesn't count,'_  He thought miserably to himself, Jet's words fluttered in his mind and vanished as quickly as they'd come. "Cas, you should help." He looked over at his friend but the priest shook his head.

"Dean wants me to watch out for you, he can handle Jet he just needs to get a chance to dispel the Imperator from inside." Cas explained calmly though his face was as tense as Sam's felt.

"You'd be more effective together, I'll be fine." Sam pressed, "Please just save him, don't worry about me okay?"

Castiel examined him sadly, "You're right but… I can't leave you when something like this is going on."

"I was never meant to be here, just do it!" Sam shouted and his conviction struck Castiel, the look on his face and force of his words pushed Cas forward. For Cas it was a matter of what would he want if he were Sam? Sam couldn't do any of it himself, he couldn't stop Jet, he couldn't hold Jet down and scream at him so who did he depend on? He depended on Castiel and on his big brother to do it for him. He needed Cas to move.

Castiel remembered the vision in Futurum, how Sam had been knelt next to Dean's body and Cas was left to face the creature. It was different this time, everything would be different and Cas wouldn't make the same mistake his vision-self had. The high priest dashed ahead to connect an attack of his own to Dean's, a combined assault of magic and brute force to send Jet flying backward into the rubble again.

"Cas, you should be watching Sam!" Dean protested but stopped when he saw the look on his lover's face.

"I won't let you face a foe on your own, not if I can help it."

"But-"

"No buts, Dean. Like I said before, if Jet poses a real threat I won't disrespect him by allowing him to hurt the people he loves against his will. And I absolutely refuse to watch you or Sam die again." Castiel turned to watch the Imperator again, "We'll do this together."

Dean nodded and stood at his partner's side. Jet's laughter echoed again, his body awkwardly pulled itself upright and he looked at them with a strained smile, "You two are adorable, you know that? High Priests of the Faith. What a load of bullshit, you're not anything and you know it! Let me guess, those bastard versions of you said you were special, didn't they?"

Neither priest spoke as they slowly stalked forward; Dean's weapon coated his arm like a shield and a battering ram while Castiel kept to his magic. Imperator watched them and shook his head, "When do you think that prophesy started?"

"You haven't been punched enough to start spewing evil plans and shit," Dean retorted which only made Jet laugh again.

"I like you, Dean." It said and sent a shiver down Dean's spine, Jet's voice shouldn't have sounded like that. "So I'll tell you what's going on, your counterparts knew they had no chance so they made up that prophesy crap."

"You're full of it." Cas spat irately, "Just shut up, no one here wants to listen to your crap."

"But don't you want to know how this all ends?"

They hesitated but Dean smiled at him, "We know how it ends and the best part about that is knowing you won't be there."

"That's where you're wrong, it  _all_  ends with me." The tone he used was reminiscent of the same threatening level Jet had displayed on countless occasions, maybe that was because Jet was still there. Or just a result of his vocal chords.

The ground cracked again and all three Winchesters cursed under their breath, each praying for a lack of gigas. They got their collective wish; the ground broke apart and even started to levitate around them. Castiel wound back and launched several energy blasts Jet's way but they were deflected in front of him like nothing. Cas glared at their opponent, "What the hell was that?"

"Let me," Dean bolted and propelled his fist right into Jet's stomach. The Imperator lurched forward and doubled over itself, leaving Dean to believe he'd accomplished something.

"My turn." It gargled and snapped its hand up to grasp Dean's throat, the priest hacked and tried to stumble back but he couldn't quite move.

"Dean!" Castiel cried and ran the short distance between them. His hands lit up as power surged through his fingers up to his elbows, Jet tilted his head to grin at Cas and threw Dean into his path. The two collided like a high-speed crash and both tumbled to the ground. They quickly reoriented themselves and looked up to see the twisted face of their friend as he leered down at them.

"I thought you two were part of some legend?" He taunted, his eyes flickered into a bright glowing orb, as his mouth appeared to split his face with the same light. It disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving Jet's face the same as it had been. "Shame you can't seem to land a hit."

Cas snarled and lunged at him again, Dean's attack right behind and in quick succession they smote Jet back to the dirt. He wheezed and rolled onto his hands and knees, the dust hadn't even settled yet. "Damn, you hit hard when you're mad."

Dean cracked his neck as he strode toward Jet's side, "You know it's kind of sad that you don't know how to fight properly. Jet used to be the best scrapper I knew."

The Imperator looked up at him, that same twisted smile on its lips, "Jet never had magic to play with." He whispered as that strange darkness dripped from his eyes and evaporated into the air around him, making it thick and difficult to breathe. Dean tried his best not to inhale that shit but breathing wasn't really an option, even as a priest.

It created smog around them that held the same feeling the Void ever had, it was heavy and oppressive and worse than even In Somniantes had felt. Dean coughed and fought the uneasiness on his feet. He could hear Cas call for him but it was so muffled and strained that he couldn't quite understand. The dizziness continued and soon he found himself on his knees, the world around him getting blurrier than it already was.

As Dean passed out Castiel fastened a mask over his face from his coat, it kept out the toxins that the Imperator had released. And while Dean had already succumbed to them Cas could at least save him from any more getting in.

"You are such strange things to me, humans I get but high priests? Some of you are so wicked smart and then there's ones like him who forget they haven an arsenal in their fucking jacket." Jet sneered with a laugh, "Which one are you, Castiel?"

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" Cas growled as he drew his Pernach mace and wheel-lock pistol, this time he meant business.

"Yeah but you're also still here." The Imperator raised his arms to gesture to the world as his face glowed again before the dark mist escaped and blackened it out. "I'm the king of the Void, I rule down there and I have existed far longer than anything else you've ever met. You should have run when you had the chance."

Cas' lip pulled up in a snarl as he cocked his gun, a swell of energy reverberated inside as he readied a magic filled shot. "I'm sorry Sam," he muttered right before he fired.

For Sam it was like a slow motion nightmare, it didn't matter how loud he wanted to shout and it didn't matter how fast he needed to be. The bullet tore through Jet like nothing and he froze, or at least Sam thought he had. The Imperator had moved so fast it left a visual imprint for Sam's eyes to remain stuck on. It reached Castiel in a flash and by the time Sam's gaze caught up he realized that Cas was impaled on Jet's arm.

" _CAS!"_

"Easy now," Jet whispered as he slid Castiel off him and let the priest hit the ground, eyes wide in shock but otherwise unmoving.

Sam heard his heart thunder in his chest as the sight of his brother and friend finally took a place in his mind. They were down, Cas and Dean were down and it was just him now.

Jet looked over his shoulder.

* * *

_-"I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you"-_

* * *

Sam's mouth felt dry as he swallowed past the growing lump in his throat, "Jet…"

"I guess it's just you and me now," The Imperator smiled and turned around to face him, the hole Cas made gaping at him like a monster all its own. "Too bad, my baby kind of liked you."

"What are you talking about?" Sam held his ground but his body shook.

"Jet," it replied coolly, "He used to like you."

Sam had to stall, Dean and Castiel healed abnormally fast and if he managed to keep Jet talking then they'd be able to fight again. He hoped anyway. "What do you mean used to?"

"I mean he's dead, hotshot."

And then there was that. "You're lying," he felt his heart nearly stop again. He'd lost Jet in a way that you misplace something; losing Jet as in never getting him back was an entirely different thing. "I know you're lying, Jet's in there."

"You're a dreamer, I like that about you." It uttered mischievously, the fact that it could use Jet's face for the expression only helped it achieve the look it was going for. "But he's not coming back, this is my body now."

"He's alive." Sam held himself together but barely. It hadn't been that long since Jet fell. It still hurt. "Jet I know you're in there!"

The Imperator's face twisted into rage with the same blinding speed it'd used against Cas, "Don't even think about it, Winchester."

"Jet, sweetheart I know you're scared." Sam was shaking as the Imperator stalked toward him. "And I'm so sorry I let you go."

"Stop it!"

* * *

_-"Anywhere I would've followed you"-_

* * *

Sam backed away, he didn't care that the tears stained his face, he didn't care he was covered in dirt from flying around and avoiding being crushed. He didn't even think he'd care that Dean and Cas were injured if it was true. "Jet I know you'd never hurt me. You'd never hurt me and you'd never let anyone else hurt me if you were there. So you have to show me you're in there."

* * *

_-"Say something, I'm giving up on you"-_

* * *

"That's it." The Imperator lunged for him and Sam closed his eyes.

"JET!" He screamed as he curled in on himself and tensed his body for impact.

But nothing happened.

Sam looked up to see Jet frozen above him, a hesitation strong enough to stall his movement completely as he was about to bring a deathblow down.

"Jet…?" He gasped and watched as the savagery faded into beautiful brown eyes again, "Are you really here?" Sam asked in surprise but noticed how Jet's body was still seized.

"S-" Jet stuttered and stumbled backward, "N-no-!" He shook his head and pushed his palms against his temples. His mouth fell open in a silent scream as he squeezed his eyes shut, "Stay aw-w-way-!" Every syllable sounded like it'd been cut off and soon Jet jerked further backward, his head shaking repeatedly and violently.

"Jet!" Sam stepped closer but stopped when Jet threw up a hand his direction.

" _I said stay away!"_  He roared right before his face started to leak again, that dark substance surrounded his face and dropped him to his knees.

Sam watched in horror as Jet writhed against himself for a few seconds before falling limp. Sam approached cautiously, slow and steady without taking his eyes off the still form. "Jet?"

He hissed in response and sat up again, that angry glow back in his eyes as he regarded Sam with malice, "You little fucking shit, I'm going to tear you apar-" it was cut off when Dean clubbed it across the head but before the priest could do anything further the sound of destruction echoed around them.

"That sounds like another fucking gigas," Dean grunted and grabbed Sam's arm, "C'mon, we gotta get clear."

"But Cas," Sam looked to where the other priest had been knocked down and Dean nearly had a heart attack right there.

They went to pick Castiel up, the hole had already closed but he'd passed out long ago. Dean put Cas on his back just as the ground burst open again; this time the gigas' hand grabbed its king and pulled him down.

"We gotta go!" Sam shouted as the Void started to creep in through the destructive chasms the gigas' had made.

Dean created a portal and threw Sam into it, leaping after him just in time.

* * *

**Mainline**

The world behind them fell away the moment they passed through; Sam stumbled and fell from Dean's throw while the older Winchester dove onto the ground right next to him. Cas was sprawled out beside them still out like a light, Dean reached out to touch his brother's shoulder and Sam just shook his head.

"He's in there, Dean." Sam whispered softly as they listened to the echo of worlds falling off the mainline. "Jet spoke to me today."

"What'd he say?" Dean asked quietly, matching Sam's tone.

"He said to stay away."

"Doesn't he know that's the most sure fire way to get us somewhere?"

Sam was a little surprised as he looked up at the smile on his brother's face, "I thought you'd say we should listen to him?"

"No way, Sammy. Jet's an idiot if he thinks that'll work."

Sam smiled back and nodded, "Thanks Dean."


	81. Mainline: The High Priests of the Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming so close to the end now. I can smell a finale.
> 
> Just one question for my readers; how do you feel about someone never going home again?

**Mainline**

"Dean!" A voice he recognized called out and the two brothers looked up to see Michael and Gabriel fast approaching. "What happened?" He wasn't demanding as much as he was hoping the one of the prophesied priests had an answer for him. "Why is the mainline falling apart like this?"

Dean shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, his other rested on Castiel's side as his partner lay still. "Ever heard of the King of the Void?" He asked solemnly and Michael had to share a look with Gabriel. Of course Gabriel went to Sam's side instead so his expression fell flat.

"No, I can't say that I have. They have a governing ruler?"

"Apparently yes. He didn't have a body before but someone fell into the Void so now he has one." Dean muttered, not entirely in the mood to explain but someone had to and he wasn't about to ask Sam to do it.

"Who fell into the Void?" Gabriel asked and looked at their group again, "Wait… that Jet guy fell didn't he?"

"Yes." Sam responded quietly.

Michael looked out at the horizon as more worlds fell to pieces in the distance, "I'm sorry for your loss," he decidedly didn't mention anything that crossed his mind. The insensitivities of 'you're the chosen ones, you have to get up and go out there' didn't sound too good even before uttered out loud.

"Thanks," Dean looked up at him sadly, "What's it like out there right now?"

"It's tough, almost impossible actually. Before only parts of the Void leaked through and that was by dumb luck on the monster's part usually. But now they have guidance and orders, we've fought legions of beasts even to just get back here." Michael looked down at Castiel's healing body, "I imagine you've been through the same."

"Pretty much."

They were quiet for a long moment, for some of it Dean thought he'd just outright tell Michael they failed. It didn't sound that good in his head but maybe it'd come across better if he said it. He ultimately decided not to but Dean kept the idea in his mind, "They're falling faster than we can save." Michael muttered as the echoes continued.

"Well when they fall they're just inside the Void, right?" Sam looked at them a little hopeful, "When we beat it won't they be salvageable?"

"Theoretically, assuming the people left inside haven't been devoured by the Void's inhabitants." Gabriel joined the conversation as he sat down beside Sam, "But if we're quick then we can save most of them."

Dean looked out into the distance; "Cas is going to be heartbroken when he wakes up."

"What happened to him?" Michael also joined them as they sat along the mainline.

"Jet impaled him." Sam replied dryly.

Dean frowned as he ran his hand along Cas' side again, "He's gotten a lot better, and the wound's almost completely gone already."

"You guys fought the king? What was it like? Did you kill it?" The amount of hope in Michael reminded Dean of Sam.

"He was strong, fast, and summons gigas for a laugh."

Michael fell silent again as Dean's words crushed whatever hope he'd had, "So, he got away?"

"Sort of, yeah. But most people would describe it more like  _we_  got away."

Michael sat quietly after that, he waited and watched their group as the despair seemed to take over. They were tired, they were betrayed and heartbroken and it all weighed heavily on them.

Gabriel offered Sam a lollipop, "Want one?"

Sam looked at it miserably glanced up at the honest expression of sympathy Gabriel wore. "Thanks," he took it without really thinking further than that, he held onto it and looked at the colours swirled around like a rainbow. "Why?" He finally asked, "Why would you give me candy?"

"Candy cheers me up," Gabriel shrugged and popped one into his mouth.

He smiled at the simplicity of that. "If it makes you happy just do it, huh?"

"Basically." Gabriel grinned back at him.

"I like it."

"Alright," Michael stood up again, "Gabriel and I are going to look ahead and see what's happening out there and if we can do anything about it. I'll report back if I can." He motioned to his partner to follow and started away, "Take care of yourselves."

"Thanks for stopping in," Dean smiled at him though a little disheartened, "Let me know what's up over there."

Michael nodded and took his leave; Gabriel waved at Sam and caught up to his partner.

Sam sighed and laid back, "We're complete failures, aren't we?"

"No, just gotta wait for Cas to get better and we'll kick some ass." Dean tried to sound determined but it wasn't exactly convincing to either of them.

"Then what? Just magically know how to fight Jet?"

"It's not Jet we're fighting," Dean glared at Sam, "Don't give up on him so easily. He's fighting inside there too, alright? It's not like the anima, Cas can't just jump into it and pull him out."

Sam rolled his eyes and looked away, "I know… I don't know what to do anymore, Dean."

Dean nodded and looked down at Cas, "Yeah… me neither."

* * *

Castiel flinched and finally opened his eyes, the familiarity of the mainline was a comfort but something felt more wrong than he'd noticed before. Cas sat up and realized that the Void was closer than it had ever been, the mainline lost so many worlds it was nearly a straight road to nowhere.

"Dean?" He asked hoarsely as his voice slowly returned to him. "Dean what happened? Where are you?"

"Calm down, I'm right here," Dean immediately moved into Cas' line of sight and ran a hand through his hair.

Castiel relaxed and closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. "I remember getting hurt, what happened after that?"

"Sam saved us, actually." Dean grinned and looked over at Sam who walked around to sit next to Cas too.

"I didn't, I just stalled him until one of you could move again."

Cas lifted his eyelids and watched Sam with a smile, "Thank you."

Sam's lips pulled up at the corners but not by much, "No problem, you guys have saved me countless times so I'm glad I could help."

"I can't believe it actually happened," Cas muttered as he let his eyes drift closed again. "Jet's gone…"

"That's not entirely true," Sam insisted hesitantly, "He talked to me – Jet, not the monster. He said to stay away but it was him. I don't know what to do yet but I think we can save him yet."

Cas bit his lip and looked at the hopeful expressions on his family's faces, "I don't know how his possession works, but I'll try my best."

"That being said," Dean looked down the mainline, "What now? The Void's winning."

"I saw…" Cas slowly pushed himself upright and shook his head free of fogginess. "We had nothing to go off of before but I think we might be able to beat it. I didn't know it had a king, what if that's the key?"

"Killing the Imperator closes the Void?" Dean mused and nodded, "Worth a shot, right? We should go after him."

Sam nodded, "We need a plan though, he kicked our asses last time."

"He's weaker if his concentration's broken up. If Jet keeps fighting inside of him it might work, but we'd be beating on Jet's body." Cas shook his head, "I can't think of a way we could get Jet out of there alive."

Sam grabbed the old journal again and started leafing through it, "Maybe something in here could tell us…"

"The other timeline didn't know about Imperator either, I don't think your other self could have written about it." Dean didn't want to burst his bubble but he didn't want to give Sam false hope either.

"Something might give me an idea, how did we beat the other monsters? Demoni possess people, Dean did you try knocking it out of him?" The younger Winchester couldn't help but look eager and trusting. He didn't want to believe that their only option was to kill his boyfriend, he refused to believe it.

"He was pretty quick but anything I did try didn't seem to have an effect on him."

Cas pursed his lips and pushed himself to his feet again, "Demoni aren't like the Imperator, he's a lot more like the spiritus we encountered recently. Now having said that we still need to realize that spiritus are a weak Void creature despite their sentience. The Imperator is intelligent but he's also strong, he won't be taken down as easy and I'd even venture to say removing him from a host is near impossible." He looked at Sam seriously, "But I think we need to try."

Sam nodded quickly, "So what else is there? What took something more than just a magic blast or a head shot?"

Dean shrugged, "The anima and domus I think."

"The domus and anima are also a similar species," Cas informed them, "If you recall we left the immediate reality to either one of the domus' makings, or into another person's head."

"That's it!" Sam lit up excitedly, "That's how we do it!"

Cas and Dean shared a look before addressing Sam again, "Are you suggesting we go inside Jet's head?" Cas ventured to ask.

"Yeah! But just two of us," Sam grinned and put the book away again, "Okay get this, Dean can probably expel the Imperator from Jet but it has to be weakened and distracted right? So he stays on the outside to face off against possessed Jet while Cas and I go inside his head. Once there Cas confronts the possessing spirit of the Imperator and fights him there to distract and weaken him."

Dean frowned, "Why do you have to go in too?"

"Because you and Cas won't be enough," Sam pressed on, "It'll be a good distraction but what we really need is for Jet to push him back. The Imperator was so focused on Jet when he started to surface last time; I think Dean could easily kick him out."

"You're going inside to find Jet," Castiel nodded as he understood, his gaze drifted over to Dean to see how his partner was taking the idea. He looked stuck on it; obviously putting Sam on the front line wasn't what he wanted to do.

"I don't' like," Dean shook his head in protest, "You're gonna get hurt Sam. Jet's head is probably the most dangerous place you could be."

"I think it's the best chance we have, Dean. Trust your brother."

Dean looked at Cas and realized his lover was dead serious. He chewed on the inside of his cheek and turned back toward Sam, his little brother's face as determined as he'd ever seen it before. "Alright," he conceded and nodded to Sam, "Let's give it a shot."

"Even if this doesn't stop the Void," Cas added, "it'll slow it back down. We need to take out the Imperator."

The three agreed and headed down the long road to find their next destination. It was hard to watch the scenery go by now, worlds collapsed into the Void, broken pathways and empty fires. As they walked they noticed others ahead, a group of people in long dark coats. Cas, Dean and Sam looked at one another but kept up their pace.

"Dean," John approached them from the crowd, Mary right on his heels, "Sam, boys are you alright?"

"We're alive," Dean smiled and gave his father a hug; it felt like forever already since they'd seen each other. "How are you guys? What's with the group?"

Mary went to hug Sam and Castiel nodded at Michael and Gabriel as the two walked over. "It's not looking good," Michael spoke dismally. "There are very few worlds left now, other than the ones we've already saved I've counted three. And these" he motioned to the people that stood before them, "are what's left of the High Priests."

"That's awful," Sam looked over at what he'd expected to be a much larger group of teams. "Did they fall into the Void with the worlds?"

"A lot of them did," Gabriel muttered solemnly, "But the ones that didn't died fighting against the organized monsters."

The other groups of priests looked their way and for the first time Cas really understood that what they did was part of a bigger picture. There had been other pairs running around having similar troubles and adventures all without his knowing. And many of them looked up to him, one of the prophecy.

"We have a plan," He called out to them, Cas didn't know what he was doing but he had to say something to them. "The Void's king has awoken and we're going to go in and stop him, but I think the creatures will be too much to handle at the same time." He looked across the span of faces and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"And who are you?" Someone yelled out passive aggressively.

"This is Castiel and Dean Winchester," Michael snapped at them, "They are the priests from In Somniantes and Aeterna, show them some respect."

"They're here."

"They're going to defeat the Void!"

Murmurs erupted and Cas felt immense elation at the sound of their joy, he looked at Dean who appeared stunned but no less in awe at the unfolding scene.

"Everyone please," Castiel shouted above them, attempting to regain some command, "I need anyone who can fight to come with us."

"That's what we're all here for, Cas." Gabriel jabbed him in the side and Castiel could only smile at that.

"We're right behind you," Mary placed a hand on Dean's shoulder and he swelled with pride.

"All of you," John assured Sam with the same gesture, his youngest nodded in reply.

The priests lined up like soldiers and faced Castiel and Dean like they were their commanders, Cas took Dean's hand and glanced at him tentatively. "There's one world we need to go into."

Dean turned back toward the others, "If you're with us then we need you to help us get to the Imperator, their king. He'll look like a regular guy, right now he's wearing jeans and a dark button up shirt."

"He's tall," Sam added and tried to keep emotion out of it, "Brown hair and eyes, darker complexion." He bit his lip and cut himself off there.  _'He's beautiful, you can't miss him.'_

"Lead the way, we'll watch your backs." Michael assured them.

"Good, I want you, Gabe, and my parents to stick with us. I have a feeling we'll need you once we get there." Dean smiled at him and looked to the world where the fire blazed the brightest, "Alright let's head out!"


	82. Angel Training: Learning to Fly

**Angel Training World: Part 1**

"Okay it's very simple, Dean. All you need to- Dean pay attention to me." Castiel stopped and scolded his life partner as the newly made angel circled around and tried to stare at the foreign appendages spreading out from his back.

"It's so weird though… Like I have extra muscles that do stuff they didn't before."

"Yes Dean, that's what wings do and you've had them for a short time. Now will you let me teach you how to use them?"

Dean stopped and nodded sheepishly, his smile more than enough to encourage Castiel's forgiveness. "Sorry, I've just never been much of a flier, you know that."

"I understand," his angel approached him calmly, Castiel's arms slipped around his shoulders and they stood closely for a few passing seconds until Dean could feel the nerves start to slip away. "But you know I'll catch you, right?"

"You always do." Dean smiled and closed his eyes as their foreheads touched, both slowly swaying side to side soothingly.

Castiel lifted his gaze to Dean's after a long moment, their eyes lingering on one another until a smile pulled at Castiel's lips and he threw Dean off the perch. They'd gone for flying lessons and that's exactly what he intended to do, after all, Castiel did have to train his new angel.

Dean screamed on the way down, falling through the air toward the dimensional rift between heaven and the earth below. Castiel flew down after him, his speed matching Dean's majestic flailing and he couldn't help but laugh at his soulmate. "You're doing fine, Dean. Don't flop around so much, spread your wings."

"I can't!" Dean sounded a bit shrill and it did nothing to remove the grin from Castiel's lips.

"You were swinging them around and smacking people for days, don't you tell me you can't move them now?"

"You're a real smug bastard, you know that?" Dean scowled at him.

"Just calm down," Castiel soothed him with words and his presence but didn't physically touch him, "You know how to fly already, just think."

Dean held his breath and closed his eyes, he knew Castiel was right but that didn't stop his nerves from sending him into a panic. However the more he thought about it the more he realized it was just his mind freaking out, he had no reason for it. And even if he wanted to freak out he couldn't, Castiel's soul was interlaced with his and Castiel was as cool as a cucumber. Dean felt the rush of the air around him; he felt his angel's excitement and joy when it came to everything that involved flying and he thought for a moment that maybe he could enjoy it too.

That was at least until something crashed into him. Dean screamed again and plummeted down in a spiral with what he figured out was a person, a human, and they looked a lot like Sam had when he was around 22 years old. "SAM!?" Dean cried out as he tried to get a good look at the terrified individual clinging to his back.

"Oh my  _god_  we're gonna die!" Sam had a very similar shrill tone to him as he made the mistake of looking down.

Castiel grabbed the base of Dean's wings and stretched them out as they were meant to, "Come on, Dean, you can do better than this." he insisted, his tone a little harsher but he remained the calm one.

Dean managed to straighten out and discovered that flying was more in his nature than he thought,  _'Must be the species change.'_  He decided and glanced back at the younger Sam, "What's going on? How'd you get so much smaller?"

"That's not our Sam," Castiel nudged him gently and pointed down, "He's still there-" he cut himself off and stared down below at the earth with a more scrutinizing look. "What's going on? That wasn't happening an hour ago."

The surface was run ragged with strange creatures and battles had started to erupt between oddly dressed humans and all sorts of beings. Castiel watched with widening eyes as enormous beasts erupted from deep in the earth's core, ravaging the land and leaving nothing but destruction and chaos in their wake. "What is this?" He breathed the words but hardly managed to muster up a strong state of mind for anything else.

"That's a war," Sam explained, his fingers dug hard into the beautiful fabric on his pseudo brother's back. "There are many dimensions and worlds, all of which are connected by one all encompassing space. In the deepest parts of this universe live monsters like the ones you see down there, all of them led by a king. They're fighting against the High Priests, people sworn to defend the universe and all the people in it." Sam looked at the two he was with, noting their wings and how they moved. "You're angels, aren't you?"

"Yes," Castiel responded though he wasn't sure what tone to take, it was a lot of information given in a short amount of time. "Where did this come from? We're in heaven and we didn't hear about this at all."

"That's because it's bigger than your religion, it's called The Faith and it incorporates every religion from every reality and brings all about to one truth. I don't really get what it means but that's what I've been told. To be honest it doesn't really matter what it means, what matters is that it's happening."

Dean glanced back at the young man on his back and furrowed his brow, "So how do we end it?"

"First we need to find my family, they'll probably be with another me or… a Jet, do you know one of those?"

"We know both," Castiel nodded and curled his wings in, "Come on, let's see Sam first."

Dean followed suit, finding that Castiel had as much sway over his mind as he'd ever had over Castiel's. It was an odd sort of freedom he felt, knowing that it wasn't just one or the other that controlled everything around them.

Sam held on tight as they dove down, he couldn't believe the world he was seeing, it seemed almost dystopian. "What happened to your world before this?" He asked, "Does everyone know about angels and monsters?"

"It's a long story," Castiel called back, his voice carrying through the wind easier than Sam thought possible.

"To summarize it though," Dean didn't intend to leave it at that; it was their life story after all. "Heaven fell apart and angel kind had to find a new home, people weren't exactly welcoming and we had a whole new slavery problem. Cas and I met, worked out our differences, and moved on to free his brothers and sisters."

"You have family?" Sam was surprised, his Cas wasn't related to anyone as far as he knew, an only child.

"All angels are related as a brother or a sister seeing as how our father is God himself." Castiel explained easily.

"Is heaven still broken?"

"No, my Father managed to get us a new one, took some time though."

Sam couldn't help but notice the tone of voice the two carried, like they were giving a tour or something. "You guys sound like you're used to being asked questions."

Dean and Castiel exchanged a glance as they entered the territory that would be considered earth, more specifically the state of Kansas in the U.S. "We've had some experience as representatives," Castiel smiled and flew down to the ground, his feet touching gracefully as Dean swooped by first and had to loop back around before he could do the same.

"We're here," Dean sighed and walked up to the door, "I wonder how he's been…"

"Let's find out," Castiel walked past him and entered the house, calling ahead to the inhabitants. "Gabriel, Sam?"

Sam walked in after the two angels and as he took in the sights of what looked like a normal man's home he realized that everything he was seeing was something from the past. As he entered the living room he came across a winged Gabriel, his real brother, and a very old version of himself. The guy must've been 90, he decided and it was possibly the weirdest experience he'd had up to that point.

The older Sam lifted his head to look at the new comers and he smiled, "Dean," he chuckled and motioned toward his wings, "I think that's what we used to call irony."

"I think it's called appropriate," Dean smiled back and approached his little brother to see how he was.

Meanwhile priest Dean got out of the armchair he'd dropped himself into and went to his Sam, "Hey, get here okay?"

"Other than falling through the sky riding an angel bareback? No problem whatsoever." Sam grinned and watched the blood nearly drain from Dean's face.

"Well lucky that was you, if it had been me I'd have died."

"Don't I know it."

Castiel looked to his brother, "Have you noticed the strange goings on in the last little while?"

"Noticed? How could we not notice?" Gabriel scoffed, "Not that we can do anything about it, Cas. Sam's not particularly agile."

"I could walk," Sam protested, "Though my legs aren't what they used to be. Neither is my mind, I'm afraid." He looked at Castiel and Dean again with a shake of his head, "I hope you weren't expecting me to do anything."

"No, just wanted to check in." Dean gave Sam a gentle hug, "How was my funeral?"

"Depressing." Sam shrugged, "But I figured Cas would have taken care of you. Can't say I expected the whole wing package but good for you."

"Doesn't that make you two brothers now?" Gabriel raised an eyebrow at Castiel who shrugged similarly to how Sam had.

"I don't think so, if that's true then he's adopted."

Gabriel smirked, "Convenient explanation."

"Call it what you want, we're still destined to be together." Dean stuck his tongue out at the archangel. "More importantly, is this everyone little Sam?"

Though Sam wanted to argue that label he decided it wasn't worth it, "No, we still need to get Cas, he's probably with your Jet like I said before."

The other Sam scoffed and shook his head, "Well he'll be in an awkward position then because I haven't heard from Jet in ages."

Priest Dean shared a look with his brother, "It's weird seeing you like this, imagine Jet." Dean laughed a bit and Sam couldn't help but do the same.

"Yeah… I just missed you though."

"I've got pictures," older Sam chimed in and was promptly poked at by his angel brother.

"Don't even."

Castiel looked around the room then out the window as the world slowly started to sink, it shook around them and he felt uneasiness. "What happens if we fail to take these monsters down in time?"

"Then the world falls into what's called the Void." Dean took on the explanations and for once Sam was grateful, he didn't like talking about falling into the Void, it left a bad taste in his mouth. "It's a place where humans can't survive and worlds slowly rot away. But that's why we're here, we're going to take out the guy leading the attack and stop their advance."

"The angels can help," Castiel insisted, "I know a few that would be more than willing to save what's left of mankind."

"Bring on the old gang, huh?" Gabriel grinned, "Well we won't be nearly as strong without the strength of our humans being there but hey, it's worth a shot."

"I can be present, you know." Older Sam nudged him and Gabriel's expression wavered from the constant happy-go-lucky he'd always worn.

"I don't want to lose you just yet." He muttered and Sam nodded his understanding.

"That's it then," Castiel turned toward the two Dean's and young Sam, "My Dean, find the other Castiel, I'll alert the other angels, and you two stay here for when we return. Understood?"

"Sounds good to me, let's do it." Angel Dean nodded and was too excited to wait further conversation. He flew as soon as he got outside, Castiel's internal sense of freedom and elation when flying settled into his system.

Castiel looked at the two strangers, "Sit tight."

"No problem," Dean replied and watched as Castiel shot into the sky like a bullet, gone in almost an instant.

Sam sat down with his other self and started rambling off questions. What was it like getting to that age, did he have any tips or pointers for their body type, all kinds of things Dean didn't really want to ever hear about.


	83. Angel Training: Angels On Our Shoulders

**Angel Training World: Part 2**

Cas stood with a team of other priests, he'd gotten lucky enough to wind up with Michael, Gabriel, John and Mary but there was no sign of his own team. Dean and Sam were of course MIA which meant he had to find a way to get to them before he ran into the Imperator. Tricky business, that.

"Well this is a first," John mused with a laugh as he shared a look with Mary, "I don't think I've ever gone through one of those portals and ended up next to you."

"It's strange," Mary looked at Castiel with some concern, "Is it like this with bigger groups?"

"Yeah, the portals are randomized and send us to the more important individuals of the world. We'll probably see duplicates of Dean, Sam, and myself. Possibly Jet." Cas answered matter of factly as he scanned the surroundings. Nothing looked like it was in imminent danger but then again a lot of the Void's creatures had a tendency to take incorporeal forms. "The other priests are probably-"

Cas was cut off when the ground beneath them rumbled and shots of light blasted through the air above them. "Those belong to a priest," Michael murmured and looked at Castiel more seriously, "What do you want us to do?"

"I need cover for when we face the Imperator, Dean has to be able to fight unimpeded." Cas shared a look with Michael who only nodded in return.

"So we stick with you until then," Gabriel clapped Cas on the back and made the other priest stumble a little. "But what do you want to do now? Where the hell do we start looking for Dean and Sam?"

"Figures it'd be our kids that're missing." John and Mary had a chuckle at that.

"They get it from your side of the family." Mary jabbed and John had to hold back a snort.

Castiel smiled at them, glad that he'd be part of that family once everything was said and done, but that meant that he had to put his mind to work all the more. "We need to find the significant person around here, everyone look for me, Dean, or a Sam."

The others nodded and got to it, Cas was surprised that he had even this many people listening to him, he didn't even want to think about the small army of priests fighting off the Void in the distance.

The team split up, he was alone as he searched the area they'd wound up in, he was surprised to see that it was so close to a graveyard. It wasn't often he actually went near one of those. Castiel scanned the gravestones as he walked while still keeping an eye open for someone significant.

And then a name struck him still, Cas stood at one gravesite so quietly that his entire body felt wrong. "Jet," he whispered as he read the name over and over again.  _Here lies_ Jethro E. Tull. The foreboding was too much and he started to turn away, "I won't let this be you," he squeezed his eyes shut and stalked away, "I won't let you die."

Cas called out when he spotted another blue coat, "I found him," he said and watched as the others approached moments later. They really were listening to him, he would've taken that in a bit more but a shadow flew overhead of him. Castiel looked up and followed the figure of Dean as he landed next to him, a shiny pair of wings on his back.

"Found you," Dean grinned and Castiel couldn't help but return it.

"I'm going to assume that you've met your counterpart already?"

"And his brother, they say you're needed to save the world." Dean glanced over at the other priests as they gathered around him. "I uh… who…?"

"They're like me, necessary." Cas smiled a bit and glanced over at his comrades who nodded his way, "So where are they? Why didn't you bring them?"

"Because a bunch of us are meeting at my brother's, I guess I'll need to get these guys there too though…" Dean furrowed brow and looked at them all.

"Move Cas first, the rest of us can wait back here." Michael suggested calmly.

"Shouldn't he try to move more than one at a time?" Gabriel looked at him curiously and Michael shook his head.

"In most cases yes, except we're all here with our partners, Castiel is missing his. I don't want to separate teams so he should take Cas first."

Dean raised his hands, "I get it, I'll be back for you guys later." He didn't wait for another word exchanged and scooped Castiel into the air. The priest gasped at the sudden take off but settled quickly, he was used to high speeds and heights but no winged being had ever really taken off with him before.

Dean looked down at Cas' face and as he looked away Cas saw his brow furrow, "What is it?"

"It's just weird," the angel laughed at himself, "I'm used to seeing your face but my Cas… he and I share this connection and I can feel him, hear him in my head, our spirits are bonded. But you… well I'm not used to seeing  _you_  and not being able to sense you. I can't read you."

"Surely it can't be so difficult," Cas smirked playfully and raised his eyebrows, "you're too used to it being easy. I can read you; Dean Winchester is no mystery to me."

"Maybe I've gotten soft," Dean huffed a laugh again and shook his head, "So I gotta ask, are you and the other Dean together? Like..."

"Yes, he's my boyfriend." Cas' smile widened, "Does that concern you?"

"Well yeah, I mean I was told a long time back that Cas and me were meant for each other. We're soul mates." Dean's cheeks flushed a little bit red and Cas thought for a second that his heart skipped a beat. It was weird; he thought he was done feeling awestruck by Dean.

"Was it true?"

"Considering you're with another me? Yeah I'd say so."

Castiel looked away sheepishly, his gaze falling to the ground passing below them. He expected to be soaring high in the sky but Dean didn't get much higher than the tallest buildings around them. "Why are you flying so low?"

"I could go higher but I'm kind of scared of flying." Dean half smiled at Cas and noticed the incredulous look on his face. "Don't judge, I just got these wings okay? Like, a month ago."

"Sorry, just seemed odd to me." Castiel muttered apologetically though he still found it pretty funny, "An angel afraid of flying."

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes sarcastically, "Makes me laugh too."

They swooped down to a cute little house and Castiel let his feet touch the ground as Dean pulled away from him, "They're inside, just go in." He gestured toward the door and took off again, leaving Cas to just waltz into a stranger's place. It was different if a portal dropped him inside or if a monster had lurked in the building, but to just walk in like that? Cas hesitated for a moment but finally found the ability to get over himself.

The door wasn't locked so he just walked in and found his Dean lazing around on a couch while Sam talked to an old man that looked strangely like him. In fact it was, and Cas had to stop and take a moment to really let that sink in. In at least one reality Sam grew up to be an old man, almost 90 by the look of him. He almost wanted to cry, the sight swelled happiness inside him like he never imagined possible.

"Cas?" Dean looked up at him from his position and started to get up, "God I'm glad to see you!" He went to Castiel's side and squeezed him tightly, "I thought you'd run into the Imperator out there."

"Ditto," Cas nuzzled his cheek against Dean's and rested his head, arms tightly wrapped around his partner for comfort.

Sam approached them then, arms folded over his chest as he shifted his weight to one foot, "Where are the others?"

"Back where we popped up, the other Dean is getting them."

Sam nodded and chewed on the inside of his cheek lightly, "My idea… you think it'll really work?"

"We won't know until we try, Sammy." Dean smiled at him reassuringly, "And it's the best one we got."

"You have no reason to doubt yourself," Castiel agreed and moved to hug Sam next. It was warm and Sam reciprocated immediately, though far more brotherly than the previous, their hug had no less heart put into it. "Everything will work itself out one way or another."

"Thanks guys," Sam smiled meekly at them and glanced over at his other self, "He says that the angels are going to be fighting with us."

"About that," Cas looked to Gabriel then Sam, "How is that angels can fly around here without freaking anyone out?"

"Our races have mingled," Gabriel shrugged, his face suggesting more than just that but Castiel decided not to push it.

"So angels are normal?" Dean didn't get the hint though.

"Angels are as normal as humans, we just live somewhere else." The archangel continued without a shift or change of expression.

"Gabriel," the older Sam reached over and touched his angel's arm, "That's enough, it's long over now."

"It didn't end the way it was supposed to, did it?" Gabriel sighed, "Separation of church and state, and all that."

"It ended, that's all I could really hope for."

"I'm guessing you've all had a rough time of it," Sam the younger added as he sat down again, this time Dean and Castiel joining in. "Our fight hasn't been going the way I expected it to either."

His older self looked at him calmly and tilted his head up a little, "How did you expect it to go?"

Sam didn't have an answer for that.

"We expected to still have our best friend," Dean spoke for him and Sam had to drop his head. Castiel placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded silently to agree.

"Who was it?" Gabriel cocked his head to the side, a way that Cas had been moreso renowned for.

"Jet," Cas replied evenly, "Did you know one?" He knew there had been one but to assume he knew Sam was a stretch.

"Yes, but I haven't seen him in a while." Sam laughed softly at that, "He was a real pain in the ass, even into his old age."

"Were you friends?" The younger Sam pushed, hoping it was at least a yes.

"He saved us once, lost his life doing it." The old man shook his head, "Got it back an hour later but I never forgot the fact that he'd died for me. So yeah, I'd like to say we were friends."

Cas wanted to tell him Jet was gone but maybe it wasn't necessary, Sam probably had an idea already anyway.

The door opened again and Castiel walked in, several other winged beings behind him. Some were recognizable, like Michael, others he'd seen once or twice but Cas couldn't remember the names of them. In fact, even Dean had shown up and the other priests along with him, "Got some help along the way," he told Cas as he nudged angel Castiel.

"I can see that," Cas smiled at them both, "Thanks for getting them."

The gathering of priests and local angels settled quickly and quietly, the situation explained to them all and Sam's plan put forward again. "So to sum it up, Dean and Cas are going to fight the Imperator while I get Jet to take over his body again, hopefully that'll be good enough to knock the monster out of him." Sam said as he looked around the room at all the faces, some duplicated and some original.

"How does that get the monsters out of our world?" Castiel asked and the priests looked amongst themselves.

"There are a lot of us fighting out there right now as it is, they're taking out the monsters as they come. At the moment the Void creatures are organized and it's tough to take them out, we're hoping once their leader is removed we can kill them with less difficulty." Dean took over the explanation after Sam; his tone commanding and so different from what Cas remembered when they'd first met. "We might be here for a very short time, we might be here for ages, I don't know that part. What I do know is that we'll need you guys to take out the physical creatures. There are monsters that can only be harmed by the magic of a priest, if you come across those leave them to the high priests to take out. I need you to go after the gigas."

"Those are the giant humanoid things, right?" Michael the archangel inquired and his counterpart nodded.

"Yes, they're unmatched in strength and they tend to make the biggest messes."

One of the other angels laughed, Cas recalled his name was Balthazar, "Makes sense, the bigger they are the harder they fall and all that."

"So let's prioritize," Priest Castiel instructed, "Priests stay together, I need you to take out Void monsters that get in our way. Dean, Sam, and I need to focus on their king; if anything interrupts us this whole thing might just be a waste of time." He looked at the world's locals and couldn't have been happier which universe it was going to end in, "Can you all handle the gigas?"

"Consider it done," Angel Dean nodded quickly, "We'll keep them out of your way."

Sam watched the stall in the meeting and glanced at his other self who seemed to just be watching, watching  _him_. "There's one thing that has to be done before we can start," older Sam said and they all looked at him, like his word was as important as anyone else's. "Where's Jet?"

"I'll find him," An angel with a staff stepped forward, one that none of the priests recognize

"Camael, he isn't the same one you knew." Castiel looked at his brother solemnly.

"But I'm the one that knew him best, I'll be most likely to see him first." Camael as he was called smiled at Castiel and gave a nod, "Don't worry, I have better judgment than that."

"How did you know him?" Sam felt his jealousy flare up, it bothered him that he didn't have the same track record as Dean did throughout the worlds, that his soul was so fickle and wound up with at least three different people while Dean and Castiel only ever ended up with one another.

"I was his angel, we fought together." Camael turned toward Sam and his expression fell to a calmness that Sam wasn't sure he even understood, "That's all it was, he was a close friend but nothing more than that, so don't look at me that way."

"I… sorry," he glanced away, "but if you find him, don't hurt him."

"Never planned on it." Camael was about to leave but priest Cas caught his arm.

"When you see him don't engage, he's dangerous and won't hesitate to kill you."

"Understood." With that he left, in a flash with almost no sound whatsoever.

They waited; an anxiety filled the room as it remained silent. Sam felt his body tense and he couldn't relax, he looked at his brother and friend, neither of them were any different. It wasn't comfortable and in the few minutes it took Camael to return they thought that maybe insanity would follow.

The archangel Gabriel took his Sam's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "When everyone has to leave, I should-"

"Go," Sam interrupted him and smiled at the resilient expression Gabriel gave him.

"But-"

"They'll need you," he insisted and welcomed his angel's kiss as Gabriel leaned down to him.

"If you say so," he whispered and gently stroked Sam's wrinkled skin like it hadn't ever changed.

"I found him, barely managed to get away." Camael huffed the words out as he stumbled back in, his weight falling to the support of his staff, "He's on his way here."

"How far?" Dean stepped forward and Camael shook his head.

"Minutes at his pace, we don't have time to waste. There are three gigas with him."

"Move out!" Castiel shouted at his angels and they took off as easily as Camael had the first time.

"You heard him, it's time." Priest Dean looked at his people and they gave him a nod in return, they were ready.

"You make us proud, boys." John smiled and went outside with Mary who gave them one more reassuring look. Michael and Gabriel each drew their weapons on their way, a confident smile on each of their faces. Castiel and Dean both looked at Sam who took a steadying breath before running out the door with the others.

The ground shook like thunder, a fast vibration like the gigas were stampeding. And then it stopped for a moment before everything felt like it'd tear the earth apart; the angels were fighting.

Sam stood beside Dean and Castiel as they slowed to a stop, the other priests rushing toward attacking Void monsters. In all the sudden commotion and chaos, there seemed to be a calm in the center, like the eye of the storm. Jet smiled at them and Sam knew in that moment that if they failed to take Jet home, he'd probably break in two.

"Time for round two?" Jet's voice was twisted; the Imperator spoke through him like a sick puppet.

"No," Dean grinned and stepped ahead of the other two, "we're not playing a game, it's time for you to say goodbye."


	84. Angel Training: I Know You're In There

_-"If everyone cared and nobody cried, if everyone loved and nobody lied"-_

 

* * *

**Angel Training World: Part 3**

It was quiet; despite the enormous battles raging around them the air was still. Sam stayed back with Castiel while Dean faced the Imperator. He couldn't be suspicious yet; they needed to catch him off guard.

Neither Dean nor Jet moved, the two stood opposite one another and silence fell around them, sounds of fighting faded into dull pounding in their heads. Soon all Sam could hear was his own heartbeat. The sky above had grown overcast and getting darker by the minute, time felt like it had slowed down. Castiel silently prayed that wasn't the case because if it were true then the world would be as lost as In Somniantes.

Dean licked his dry lips as he held eye contact with his best friend, or with the monster inside him. He wasn't sure if Jet could see at all, actually. Dean repeated the plan in his head, he had to fight Jet physically while Sam and Cas took care of the rest. He needed to hold on, fight as long as he could and distract Jet outwardly. The more he could keep the Imperator's attention the easier Castiel's fight inside Jet's head would be, if Dean could hold on better then he could save Cas a lot of pain.

But if he held on too well he'd kill Jet while the Imperator was distracted inwardly by Cas' fight, making Sam's entire plan meaningless. Dean needed to wait, hold it out, and then exorcise whatever he could of the monster inside the man he respected more than most adults he knew.

Jet angled his head back, looking down his nose at Dean through half lidded eyes, "You know he chose this?"

Dean grit his teeth, hands flexing and ready to reach for his weapon, the idea hit hard. "Shut it, he'd never agree to something like this." Wouldn't he though? Wasn't that exactly Jet's mentality? Use whoever it was trying to use him, get what he needed, then fight back until he was free again. Jet was a fighter until the end and that sounded like the bone-headed move he'd pull.

"I'm not kidding, he knew exactly what he was getting himself into and he told me-" The imperator switched his voice to Jet's, clear as a bell and unfiltered, "Do it."

"He must've had a reason, if that's true at all." Dean knew it was, Jet would undoubtedly choose that kind of path. He tossed his coat back and pulled the stick out, it shifted into a sword in his hand as he snarled, "Let's do this!"

The Imperator grinned and wavered on his feet a little, his body swaying for just a second then everything was still. The airflow stopped around them entirely and nothing moved until suddenly both parties leapt forward. The ground cracked beneath the force of their take off and they launched across the distance between them like shots from a gun. It happened so fast, when their fists connected the terrain below them stood no chance. The earth erupted into a small crater almost instantly and sent each flying backward from the weight of the other's attack. Dean flipped around and skidded along the ground in an attempt to stop himself, his feet nearly slipped out from under him.

They didn't stay in place though; Dean and the Void King rushed one another again, this time exchanging more than one blow. The two moved fast and precisely, each move was just enough to block the other's attack and attempt one of their own. Dean caught Jet's arms in a lock and the two braced against one another, legs straining and feet slowly digging into the ground behind him.

Sam and Castiel held their breath as the stalemate held stiff for far too long. Cas leaned over to Sam anxiously, "I need to tell you something that I didn't want Dean hearing," he muttered and Sam almost felt sick hearing it.

"Please don't tell me it's stupid."

Cas huffed out a laugh but shook his head, "Sorry, it might be. What we're about to do is enter Jet like I did with the anima, but you didn't see how it had been done. You and I need to be connected to one another physically and each place our hands on him; two fingers on his temple and thumb on his forehead." His voice was low and Sam almost could hear it but he did all the same.

He chewed on the inside of his cheek and nodded quietly, "So… we need to get close, I can do that."

"Yes, but before I had Dean's help, this time I'm using only my strength to get two of us inside." Castiel's tone was solemn but unwavering, "I'll be exhausted so when you get inside I need you to move quickly."

Sam ignored the queasy feeling, he knew he'd need to move fast, Dean's life was on the line too after all. "I can do it, Cas. Just hang in there when it happens, okay?"

"Of course."

Dean watched the brown eyes of his closest friend as they flickered before him, the thing he was facing wasn't Jet but Jet  _was_  in there before. He thought for a second he could see him, the guy who fought beside him on the school grounds, and the one who'd steal lunches for all three of them when they had nothing else. He could see Jet in there somewhere. "Jet," Dean struggled to keep his hold on him, the strength of the monster slowly over powering him. "C'mon buddy, I know you're in there."

"He isn't."

"I know you don't want to hurt us man, I'm going to do everything I can to stop you okay?" Dean swallowed thickly and pushed back as hard as he could, holding tightly to the Imperator's arms. "I'll save you, I swear."

"He's not listening anymore, Jet's gone now." The Imperator grinned madly and slowly forced Dean back, everything he had was put into Dean's eventual slip to his knees.

Castiel took Sam's hand and rushed across the terrain as it nearly exploded all over the area. Gigas were falling at the hands of angels; raptoribus were shot down by guns and spells, and high priests all around them tore Void monsters a new one. They put up an incredible fight, John, Mary, Michael and Gabriel did their job perfectly, and Dean had pushed the Imperator into forgetting they were there. It was time to act.

Sam kept up with Castiel to the best of his ability but the priest was still far faster than he'd ever been. Cas pulled Sam along until they were close enough that Sam could see the glint in Jet's eyes. Castiel let go of him and jumped over Dean and the Imperator to the other side, he reached across and caught Sam's hand again. "Now! Like I said!"

And they did, hands on Jet's face as the Imperator tried to pull away from Dean's iron grip. "NO! What is this!?" It shouted in that multi-toned voice that made their skin crawl. Sam felt Castiel's power surge through him and into his hand, both of their palms glowing and flashing with that priestly light Sam had seen come from Cas and Dean before.

Dean grinned as the Imperator struggled with no success, "We've got you now," he sneered and rammed his head up into Jet's hard enough to knock the monster back.

The Imperator covered its face and shrieked in protest. " _You think this'll save you!?"_  It snarled.

"I don't need saving," Dean straightened up and altered his weapon into a blunt stick like it'd been before, "You on the other hand?" He smirked and stalked over the short distance between them, "I can't promise anything."

The Imperator growled low and rushed Dean with all its strength, but Dean could feel the difference. It couldn't quite keep track of them all; it was already scrambling for some control. With the swing of his arm Dean sent Jet's body flying like it was nothing, though the Void's King wouldn't go down that easy Dean had a good feeling.

 

* * *

 

_-"If everyone shared and swallowed their pride, then we'd see the day that nobody died."-_

 

* * *

**Jet's Mind**

Sam felt disconnected, like the world slipped away from him and he was far away from his senses. His body started to tingle and his nerves flared up in waves all over, that combined with the looping weirdness of gravity around him Sam lost track of what was up and what was down.

He felt sick, but he'd been feeling sick for a long time already so he wasn't sure what the source was anymore. "Cas?" He called, everything was dark and he tried to open his eyes only to realize they hadn't closed. "What happened?"

"We're in," Castiel said in a hushed voice, standing right next to Sam and letting go of his hand again. At first he looked fine but then Sam noticed how much paler Cas looked, the sway in his stance didn't help either.

"How are you feeling?" He asked softly and Cas shook his head.

"I'm going to throw up, I think." The priest chuckled and covered his mouth.

"You  _wretch_!" A different voice cried out to them like a ghost, it wasn't Jet's and had no hint of him at all. It was the other voice, the one they heard that made them ill. "You think you can come in here, Castiel? That you'll accomplish anything by doing this?"

Cas straightened out and drew his Pernach mace and wheellock pistol from his jacket, he gave Sam one look and a quick shake of his head; don't move yet. "Oh I think I will." He replied coolly, like he didn't have a gaping hole where his energy should've been. Sam really wished Castiel would have mentioned it sooner, but Cas was on his side with that one. If Dean knew he'd never let Cas do it, which meant killing Jet was the only way.

The Imperator strode forward, a shadow of a being but with a solid form. Its face cracked in the center with a glowing grin and circular eyes of the same effect appeared, "I'll take you out personally, priest. I'm sick of your interference."

"Have we met previously?" Cas tilted his head a little as he concentrated on holding his ground. He knew he couldn't do it for long, Dean needed him to fight, to make as much of a distraction as he could to ease the struggle outside.

"That timeline that ruined itself, you were quite the little thorn in my side."

"Well that doesn't matter now," Cas steadied his gun and leveled it at the creature's head, "he's gone, you'll have to deal with this version and trust me, this version's got a lot more fight in him."

The Imperator smirked but said nothing more; instead it charged Cas with a speed Sam couldn't quite keep up with. Castiel jumped out of the way, all he could do was barely dodge and keep himself from being struck, Sam couldn't do a single thing but watch it. His friend narrowly avoided being beheaded twice and skewered through the stomach again, but couldn't get off a single shot.

And then he saw it, Castiel's movements weren't mad dashes to save his life, they were planned. The Imperator was no longer facing Sam, no longer giving him attention and by what he could tell, it was too preoccupied with fighting Dean and Castiel simultaneously to give him any attention whatsoever.

Sam bolted, it was his first chance and he took it without another thought.

Castiel jumped back far enough to give himself a second to breathe, he glanced to where Sam had been standing and smiled when he saw the space empty. That kid had always been pretty smart.

"It's because of you and your goddamn partner that I was stuck down there for so  _fucking long_." The Imperator hissed as it practically crawled to Castiel, its face a mess of enraged flickering expressions. "I'm going to gut you and enjoy doing it."

"So now your motive is revenge?" Cas grinned and angled his gun the monster's way again, finger as solidly on the trigger as he could get it. His legs were about to give out and he knew it, "I thought you wanted to do it all just because? Kind of cliché, revenge and all."

His egging didn't work that well, it did nothing to quash the monster's rage and the Imperator ran at him again. This time Castiel let off a shot and sent the monster hurdling backward, not very far but far enough for him to do it again.

The warlord screeched as it dodged the second assault, this time taking a far less direct approach to Cas. It leapt off the chasms of Jet's mind, hidden pieces and theoretical surfaces served as its ground to push off of.

Castiel leveled his pernach one more time and prepared himself for one of the hardest fights of his life. His breath caught and his body shuddered, it had nearly nothing left in it, all he could do was fire his gun again and pray to nothing above that it did him any good.


	85. Angel Training: It's Real Enough

_-"Show you how I'm the only one to break down your walls, highjack your brain, run through your veins"-_

* * *

**Jet's Mind**

Sam ran through the corridors of his lover's mind like he had even the slightest clue where Jet was. He didn't, but that didn't stop him from moving. Jet had to be somewhere and his mind couldn't be nearly big enough that Sam could get lost. Or so he thought, anyway, before the space around him shifted and drifted like it was made of some malleable fluid pretending it was a solid object.

The Imperator said Jet was gone, but Sam didn't believe it, he couldn't. It was hard enough thinking that his boyfriend was stuck in his own head, but to have to accept that he was gone? That wasn't an option and Sam refused to accept it.

He slowed his pace when he heard voices echo around him, a child first then a man shouted. It only took a moment to realize whom he was hearing but it didn't make any of it less difficult to listen to. Jet's memories played like they had the last time with the anima, flashes of scenes and then a sharp cry from a child resonated in Sam's ears. The imagery ahead of him faded into a room, a kitchen built around it and a few people fell into place.

The scenario was blurry, his vision couldn't get clearer and Sam realized he was living it through Jet's eyes. The world trembled and a heartbeat pounded in his head like a jackhammer. Sam tried to open his eyes; they were stuck as if someone else refused to let him do it. But he managed and he didn't like what he saw. Jet's bloody arms shook right in front of him as they shielded his head, and Sam could hear the soft whimpering Jet tried to suppress. The younger Winchester closed his eyes again.

' _I'm not actually here.'_  He told himself as the world around him seemed so real.  _'I'm not here, this is a memory, it isn't real.'_

_It's real enough._

Jet's words echoed in his memory from the last time he'd been inside Jet's head.

"You little fucking brat!" Jet's father swore loudly and Sam could see the man's shadow on the floor, how he wound back to strike. Sam flinched and pulled, his heart raced and he did everything he could to get away, his mind screaming at him that he wasn't part of it. The first blow struck and everything went numb in his head, Sam's panic rising and taking over.

' _It's not real!'_  He tore back and when he opened his eyes again he saw Jet lying on the floor, the small frail body of a child who'd taken a hit one too many times. Silence filled the room and nothing moved or shifted in the slightest. Sam could feel his legs shake and his mouth went dry. "Jet," he whispered as tears rushed to his eyes, "Jet get up…"  _'It's not real.'_

_It's real enough._

It was real to Jet. It wasn't just a horror story to Jet, it happened.

Jet didn't move as his father walked away, a vicious tone of voice lingered in the air, "That bitch should've taken you with her."

Sam tried to lift Jet up but he couldn't touch the boy anymore, he couldn't be part of the scenario and all he could do was watch like he had the first time. Jet's body trembled and shifted as he rolled his head to look toward his worst nightmare.

_That's it, I've had enough._

He started to rise; Sam felt the raw emotion, the immediate thought in Jet's head was so strong and clear that it nearly echoed. Anger filled the space around them and Sam could feel his blood rushing, his body started to heat up. Jet pushed himself off the floor; his skinny arms somehow found the strength to lift his body until his legs could get beneath him. A silent snarl pulled at his mouth and Jet stalked to where his drunken father had gone. The older man fished for the light switch to the basement, his supply of alcohol waited patiently for him in the cellar.

Sam stood idly as he watched a young boy stumble to stand behind his father, a scene that felt like an eternity. Sam wanted to step in, do something, but the time to help was long over.

Jet found the courage to shove the unbalanced man with all his might. The only thing Sam heard was the initial outcry from Mr. Tull and the sick sound he made when he hit the bottom. Jet stood completely still aside from his heavy breathing, his face calm as he reached for the cellar door to close it, "I think she'd rather have you there." He said to the empty space before clicking it shut. And then everything went dark.

* * *

_-"I'm gonna move like a soldier."-_

* * *

**Angel Training World: Part 4**

Dean heaved in a breath as his back hit the solid rock wall of parts of the ground that had been displaced by a gigas somewhere nearby. He shuffled to stand again and dove out of the way as the Imperator lunged for him, a hand crashing through the wall and destroying it entirely, reducing it to rubble. Dean took that opportunity to strike back and beat the beast down into the dirt, its body tumbling over the ground like a rag doll. Part of Dean wondered how much of the damage he was doing would stick with Jet when he woke up, he had to assume all of it.

"What's the matter, lost all of your strength already? I didn't know you'd be so easy to distract, you're like a five year old." Dean taunted and watched the thing push itself to its feet in the most inhuman way he'd ever seen.

"I'm going to enjoy mutilating you…" the Imperator snarled, its face leaking that same blackness into the air around him.

Dean got ready for the next onslaught of attacks and it came at him quickly, but he put up the best fight of his life. Every move he made was useful, necessary and never wasted. He blocked every hit and knocked the Imperator back each chance he got, Dean didn't want to break Jet any more than he already had. The Imperator was fast but so was Dean, now that he knew what to expect from the monster he could do his best to predict it and keep his head.

Their exchange went on like that for what he thought might be an eternity, but then the monster jolted and froze up for a brief second. Its eyes had flittered up and the colour seemed to change briefly before it continued its assault. Dean furrowed his brow and watched for another one, it happened sooner than he expected and he took advantage of it. His weapon changed from a blunt object to a malleable rope, drooping in his hands in an instant. Dean caught the Imperator's wrist and turned the end of his weapon into a cuff, the Void's King wasn't pleased.

"You fucking priest!" It shrieked at him again and stalled another time, Dean caught its other wrist behind it and immediately forced his weapon to shrink. The Imperator arms jerked backward and locked in place behind it, "I will  _not_  be forced into that life again!" It shouted and reeled on Dean, the priest had to let go of his defense and stand with nothing but his hands to fight with. And that was just fine with him.

* * *

_-"I'm gonna crawl through your skin, get to your head, fight to the end."-_

* * *

Castiel wasted nothing in his blitz, heavy fire rained down on the Imperator as it struggled to hold its place in both battles. It screamed at him things that he was certain were meant for Dean, but then again it didn't really matter. They were part of the same whole and Cas would just as well take the insults, he didn't really care what the Imperator had to say anyway.

"Give it up!" He yelled and continued to shoot the monster as it came anywhere near him, Cas had no idea where Sam had gone now but he'd do his best to keep the Void's king busy. "You've already lost."

"I spent eons down there, I'm finally free and you think I'll give up in the first complicated fight?" It seethed at him; its shape almost looked like it was dripping and steaming but somehow still a solid form. "You wish, priest!"

Castiel swallowed hard when he blinked and found himself face to face with the Imperator, that dark expression split open in a bright grin. Time slowed for him and he found that no amount of hope could bring his arms up fast enough to protect himself. Castiel felt the full force of the Imperator's aggression, nothing softened the punch that hit him in the gut – the same place he'd been penetrated the first time.

This time he just went flying and crashed into a wall of Jet's mind, a mental structure made to support something, or hide it. The surface didn't even shake when Cas struck it, which only made the impact that much harder. Cas groaned and tried to get up only to find he was staring the monster in the face again, eyes locked with the glowing eye sockets of the Imperator.

"You're mine," it hissed and its smile widened.

"Yeah, about that." Cas smirked and nudged his pistol into the Imperator's abdomen a little, just to indicate that it was there. The beast couldn't move faster than Cas' trigger finger and it soared through the air, this time crashing right through one of Jet's walls.

The distinct sound of a heartbeat echoed around them and the foundation they stood on quaked for a brief second. Castiel cringed and looked at the crumbled support, figuring he'd have to apologize to Jet later for whatever memory or bad habit they'd unleashed. But then another heartbeat sounded, it had been unrelated to the supporting wall.

Cas watched as his opponent pulled itself up, a look of panic drawn on its face, "The boy!" It shouted and looked down a corridor that Cas could only assume led to Sam. "Where's the-" it couldn't finish its sentence.

The spiked mace portion of Castiel's gun connected with its face and sent it rocketing the opposite direction. The high priest gasped as his body nearly gave out on him; adrenaline was the only thing that held him upright anymore. "I don't fucking think so," he growled at the monster and stalked closer, gun lifted and leveled at its head.

* * *

_-"I'm gonna move like a soldier."-_

* * *

Sam sighed and ran his hand into his hair like it would help anything at all. What the hell was that memory about? "Jet, are you trying to tell me something or is this just what it's like in your head?" He didn't stand around to wait for an answer; Sam started running again and the terrain around him suddenly opened up into far too many pathways and obstacles for him to choose from in an instant.

Jet's mind had suddenly become much more complicated, like a jigsaw puzzle wrapped in the dark substance that Sam knew had to be part of the Imperator. "JET!" He shouted and listened to the echo around him, "Jet where are you!? It's me! It's Sam!"

A heartbeat thundered, just like it had the first time but now it was focused and echoing from a very specific point.

"Jet," Sam breathed the name and bolted to the sound, "Answer me, Jet! It's Sam!"

Again a heartbeat echoed and narrowed his choices to one path. It was warm, the colour was welcoming and he could hear Jet's heart beating softly in the distance. Sam ran as fast as his legs could carry him, he knew getting distracted would be the death of not only himself but everyone else, everyone he'd ever met and billions that he hadn't.

"I'm coming," he gasped as the surroundings whizzed past, he'd never run as fast as he was then but it felt like it wasn't fast enough. He couldn't see Jet yet and the world around him started to drift like it had before. Gravity didn't make sense and he had to wonder if he was even moving at all, the more he tried the less it made sense. Sam shook his head and tried to focus but that did him no good, it was like he was suddenly part of a Picasso painting.

Soon he found himself entirely disoriented; he couldn't tell if was still running or even upright. Then light faded into his gaze, bringing shape back to his surroundings and he thought he heard familiar voices. It was another memory, he realized as he started to see it through Jet's eyes. He felt tired like he hadn't slept in ages, Jet's emotions and mental state vaguely mapped onto him as if he really were there. Sam noticed he was lying on his back, staring up at a ceiling in a dim room only lit by the sunlight creeping through the shades over the window.

He recognized that bedroom; it had been his when things were normal. And then he heard the awful coughing that used to ring throughout the household. It was something he'd always hated, he couldn't control the fits and it always seemed to wake everyone up. But this time he felt it through Jet. Jet's body tensed and his mind became a flurry of concern as he pushed up and went to the bedside.

Sam could see himself, pale, thin, and wracked with pain as his body shook from the hacking. Jet had said nothing but placed a hand over his forehead, Sam remembered being on the other side of that gesture. He watched himself startle and look up at Jet, Sam couldn't forget the calm expression that met him and how it eased his worrying at the time. It was odd to see it from the opposite end, to feel Jet's anxiety but know that his expression betrayed none of that.

It was weird but comforting. Sam could see it in himself; the love he hadn't realized was there until much later. But more importantly to him, he could feel it in Jet.

"When did you get here?" Sam heard himself ask, a raspy sick voice grating on his ears like a disease all its own.

"Been here for a while," Jet reply smoothly and Sam felt the weight of exhaustion on his eyelids, how slow he felt and all that came with being so tired.

Sam pulled to get away; he wanted to see that expression again, to see Jet's smile as he spoke and witness the warmth one more time. But then, he didn't want to let go of the raw emotions he could feel in Jet.

' _I love you.'_  Sam thought desperately and closed his eyes. "I love you."

* * *

_-"When I find you, not going to let you go."-_


	86. Angel Training: The Heart Knows

_-"My heart's racing trying to catch up to you, the light that you let off is gold."-_

* * *

**Jet's Mind**

The crash of another heartbeat brought Sam back to reality and he realized he was just standing on a pathway. It looked like empty space was all around him other than the barely laid out floor, but it didn't feel empty at all. Jet's emotions, memories, thoughts, experiences, all of it surrounded him. Jet's entire being was in that space; Sam just had to find its core – Jet's heart and soul, the part that really put him together.

Jet would be in the strongest part of himself, his center, the place he felt safest. And somehow Sam thought that maybe it was him, that he was Jet's safe place.

Sam pushed on; he made his way through twists and turns, avoiding spaces that would trigger a memory. He was trespassing in someone's head; he had no idea if there'd be any repercussions from it but he couldn't let that stop him. The vibrations of Castiel's fight trembled around him; whatever was going on it was getting worse. It had gotten past the shallow mind and started to reach the inner parts of Jet, shaking his foundations.

Every now and then he did trigger something, a phrase Jet remembered or a moment in time that he tried to tuck away and it all started to seem like a pattern. He'd hear someone mention his name in passing and Jet's heartbeat would race.

One that he wasn't expecting took him by surprised and for a second Sam thought he'd been dispelled from Jet's head. He could see an overcast sky, buildings that looked far too old, and he could smell something rotten. Then he saw Dean.

"Jet!" Dean sounded concerned and Sam tried to look around, where was Jet? Why did Dean sound so worried? But his confusion was answered when Dean knelt as his side and gently lifted his head up, "Jet, man what happened?" He was young; they must've been in high school.

Sam blinked blearily and watched as Jet's head automatically angled down to look at himself, he was tattered and bruised. A soft laugh escaped him. Sam missed his voice. "I don't know?" Jet answered and dropped his head again, "Too many guys at once."

Dean smirked, "That's what she said?"

"Dude," Jet raised a hand and placed his index finger to Dean's lips to silence him, "No."

The two laughed and Dean helped pull Jet up to his feet, "Come on, I'll get you cleaned up. It's Sammy's birthday-" another heartbeat echoed, "you can't show up looking like a fucking hobo."

"Shut up, it's damn time he learned the truth about me," Jet scoffed proudly, "I'm like the hobo god."

Sam smiled and nodded as the memory faded, he remembered that birthday. He'd been so concerned that Dean wasn't going to show up for it because of how late he already was. Jet did look a little injured at the time; they apparently hid it well, at least well enough that Sam hadn't noticed.

As he walked on things really started to feel like a pattern; he was everywhere. Every phrase or sentence uttered Sam came up somehow. Every random image he stopped to look at he recognized just as much. Sam paused and looked around; he was in the part of Jet that was dedicated to him. Jet's heart echoed loudest in that space when Sam was mentioned and it only got louder as he moved on.

It made him smile even harder but the ache in his chest grew just as much; Jet kept a special place for him. Maybe subconsciously but it was there, Sam was standing in proof of it. He wiped at tears that started to form at the corners of his eyes and kept hunting for the real thing. He noticed there were some moments of Jet's life that were corrupted, taken over by parts of the Imperator and that presence only spread further.

He'd seen his own face, smiling down at Jet in that one world, the one they'd decided to have a picnic in. Jet was lying in the grass on a hill, the twig still clenched between his teeth as Sam approached him.

But then it almost looked as though it were burning slowly; Sam's face started to decay and fizzled out of definition. Jet's memory was warped, Sam went from smiling kindly, lovingly, to afraid and then he had no face at all. There were so many like that the deeper Sam went, and the further in he was the more he realized the heartbeat had changed. It no longer raced like a boy in love, it stuttered and skipped beats as fear gripped it tight.

Jet was scared, he was losing everything slowly and he was all alone in there. Sam couldn't take the thought.

"Jet!" he called out again and waited for an answer, listening as the area around him moved and changed. Nothing was happening other than that, everything looked vacant and the pathway had ended. It was just an empty space, a dead end and Sam couldn't figure out where else to go. Mentioning himself had brought on the heartbeat he'd been using as a guide, maybe that. It was still shaky and terrified but it was still the best way to find him. "I'm here, Jet. It's Sam, remember? You're not alone!" It thundered like an explosion around him and Sam had to try to cover his ears that time. The room around him shook and he lifted his head in hopes that maybe there'd be some clue. He couldn't tell where the heartbeat originated from, it sounded like it was all around him, like he was there. He was where the heart was meant to be. But nothing.

The floor altered his footing and he felt another rumble, Cas' fight was getting harder and he could only imagine Dean's. Just as he decided to try another path the surface beneath him started to crumble and sink, an attempt to swallow him whole. He tried to run but his feet were stuck, they wouldn't move and slowly he began to slip away.

"No!" He shouted and fought against it, "I'm so close! I can find him, just give me time!" He reached for anything but there was nothing for him to grasp. "JET!" Sam screamed as futility sunk in.

The world around him rippled like water as he passed through the floor and suddenly Sam saw nothing but light, it was beautiful. He stared in awe at the mind that lay out before him; he could see everything and nothing hid in dark corners like above. There was nothing around him that felt dark and angry, was this what it was supposed to be like? Jet's mind was encased in the Imperator, most of the good feelings were shoved away and only the parts that made him want to hide were left at the surface of his memory. It was sick but a good way to keep anyone away from where you wanted them. Just put up a defense made of their worst fears and things that hurt them most, almost guaranteed to work.

"Jet?" He called again and felt an immediate response. The area reverberated with suddenly life and he heard it. It was like someone was trying to speak but their words were stolen by the wind.

An echoing voice finally focused enough to say his name, "Sam?"

"Jet!" Sam looked around more excitedly, his feet on solid ground and eyes bright with the hope that he'd see him. Jet was nowhere in sight though, it was just the same empty space with the bright light and what looked like floating dust.

At first they were just strange particles around him, like a fluttering mist that had no real form until it compacted into one space. Jet phased into existence from the wave of light and separated matter, unable to keep a solid shape but otherwise still there, "Sam? What are you doing here?" His voice was as disconnected as his body, like he was talking through an old phone on speaker.

"I came to save you, it's going to be okay now." Sam could feel tears choking up his vision but kept it to himself, "You have to come with me, Jet." He moved to hug him but went almost right through, like Jet really had no physical body to touch. It made some sense but he remembered the anima, he remembered holding Jet's hand and knew that something had to be wrong. "What's happened? Why can't I touch you?"

Jet stared at him as the words registered, his expression tightened and he looked down, "I…" He furrowed his brow and stared at hands that barely formed long enough to be seen, "I'm not… I lost control."

Sam watched the thoughts filter through Jet's face, "You can get it back, you just need to fight."

"I'm not strong enough, Sam." Jet looked at him sadly but that calm smile came back to him, it almost made Sam cry again. "But it's really nice to see you."

"You're going to do more than just see me, I need your help. That monster that you let inside you, he's destroying everything." Sam felt anger welling up inside him as he watched someone he held in high regard give up, right in front of him. "Don't you dare quit on me, Jet."

"I told you to stay away for a reason, Sam." Jet shook his head and parts of the matter making up his shape dissolved, leaving sections of him to remain nothing but mist. Sometimes the definition was lost in his face and all Sam could see was the general outline, the colours he recognized as Jet's hair and skin. "Why didn't you listen?"

"Because I know why you did it, I know why you let the Imperator inside you." Sam insisted and reached to try and touch Jet's face as it formed again. Jet's eyes flicked back and forth between their focus on Sam's left or right, he breathed unsteadily and the bubble of calm started to fade.

"Why's that?"

"Because you were going to fight once you got what you wanted."

Jet scoffed at him and slipped from Sam's touch like the non-solid being he was, "Didn't you see what happened? Do you think I meant to send my fucking arm through Cas?"

Sam shook his head, "No of course you didn't, but you were fighting alone then. We're here now, we're all fighting for you and with you."

Something in his tone caught Jet's attention and the older brunet had to look at him again, really take in what he was saying. "Why? Why didn't they just kill me?"

"They want to save you." Sam smiled as the tears fell down his cheeks, he couldn't hold them back anymore as he watched the heart wrenched expression unfold on Jet's face. "I miss you, more than anything."

"Sam…" Jet went back to his side, this time trying harder to touch his boyfriend's cheek. "Don't cry."

"It hurts to think about you," he closed his eyes and leaned into the caress, "Sometimes I can't breathe."

"That's not healthy," Jet replied with a half smile.

"Neither is quitting when we need you."

"Hey,"

Sam looked up on instinct; Jet's tone sounded so familiar it brought his hopes out of the holes it'd been hiding in. Jet nodded as he grinned in that cocky know-it-all way he did. "Who said I'm quitting?"

The amount of joy in Sam's entire being couldn't have been measured and he threw his arms around Jet's shoulders. It didn't occur to him that he shouldn't have been able to hug Jet, but his partner held as much concentration in that one place to make it possible. As long as Sam never looked down to find Jet had probably been missing the lower half of his body during their contact, he never would've known the difference.

* * *

_-"I can't shake this feeling, it fills the room. These chills didn't come from the cold."-_

* * *

**Angel Training World: Part 5**

After doing everything he could to keep the Imperator away from Sam, Castiel's legs gave out and he fell to his knees, his chest heaving and his arms weak. Even adrenaline couldn't keep him standing anymore and for a second he thought he'd reached the end of his rope. But the Imperator couldn't get close, Cas realized as he looked up from his crumpled position. The Void's king had to focus on Dean again.

Outside Dean was putting up just as much of a fight except his new attack was an attempt to exorcise the monster. The Imperator couldn't ignore that, and with Castiel much less of a threat it could at least keep itself from being dispelled. Its arms were tied behind its back but that didn't make it harmless.

"You think it's that easy?" It spat and Dean was really getting tired of being spoken to that way. "Let's see how well you handle more than one Void dweller at a time."

Dean grinned wildly and nodded, "Go ahead, do your worst."

The Imperator's smug-ass face sneered in a way that said 'I will' without the actual words. However it fell moments after, nothing was coming to its aid.

"Can't get anyone to come to your party?" Dean taunted playfully.

"Goddamn priests," The Imperator snapped and attempted to summon again, this time however Dean didn't wait to see what would happen.

Castiel on the other hand struggled to pull himself to his feet; he could see the beast, unguarded and attention paid to the outside. At least until something inside let go, Cas felt a change around them almost instantly. It was a familiar presence, like Jet wasn't sleeping anymore. The high priest smiled and nodded to the empty space as it slowly filled up with a strength Cas was glad to feel, "Welcome back," he muttered.

The Imperator altered its attention again, this time focusing inwardly toward the area it knew it had shoved Jet into. It didn't hesitate to charge but again it didn't get far, Cas shot it in the back the moment it turned around. "Forgot about me already, huh?" He asked in an attempt to sound less tired, it might've made him sound worse though. His actions earned him that same impulsive shrieking and another attack launched his way. Castiel held tightly to his gun,  _'Hurry up, Sam.'_


	87. Angel Training: Homecoming

**Jet's Mind**

Jet looked around at the space they were in, "I guess this isn't real, is it?"

"It's sort of real, but it's more of a safety bubble. Everything we need to get to is out there," Sam looked up at the spot he figured he'd fallen through.

Jet nodded, "Right." He closed his eyes and suddenly the world fell away from them as it shattered and a new one came forward. All of the happiness and things that Jet surrounded himself with to keep his mind calm and himself safe were gone. In their wake was a world that Sam remembered perfectly, he'd seen it in his nightmares more than once. It was a vast open room, a small rickety staircase far away to a door that was too high up for him to reach. He knew the vacuo was below them and for an instant Sam was watching from the outside. The same position he'd been in the first time, watching that impossible film shoot out across the room.

He refused to do it like that again.

In a rush of adrenaline and fear Sam found himself inside the barrier made, he could hear the frantic breaths and terrible shake in his limbs. And then he realized it wasn't him, it was Jet's memory. Jet was reliving it and Sam couldn't escape the awful suffocation and terror that engulfed his boyfriend in that moment. Jet let go of the safety and his mind immediately threw them into something that should have chased them right back in. It didn't, Sam was glad that they didn't descend back to the false cushion away from the world but that didn't mean Jet couldn't still be shaken. He wasn't even a solid being anymore.

What was even more strange was how Sam could be inside Jet's memory as if he were Jet himself, seeing the same thing as the real Jet next to him. He could see his boyfriend freeze up and knew he had to say something. The initial onslaught of images and memories would be aimed to break Jet apart, he couldn't let that happen.

"It's not real!" Sam shouted and started to pull away like he'd done before. His body stretched away from Jet's memory to become its own again, but instead this time he refused to lose contact with Jet. Sam separated from him but remained next to him, a hand clasped firmly in Jet's, forcing it to stay stable. "This is over!" He grabbed Jet's face and forcibly turned him to see, ignoring the pained look of horror that Jet held. "You've done this already, you've seen it twice. I need you to help me deal with what's new, I need you to snap out of it!"

Jet stared at him wide-eyed until he finally shook his head away and covered his eyes. "Not real..." He repeated out loud and again the area around them crumbled into darkness, all Sam experienced of that nightmare was the sound. They heard everyone's voices;

 _"Sam, go, I'll catch up."_ Jet had tried to sound calm, Sam remembered that.

 _"No. No you're coming with us now!"_ He almost hated his own voice, how weak and scared he sounded.

 _"We need to leave, now. I'm sorry Jet."_ Sometimes he hated how right Castiel was.

_"NO!"_

_"We need to go, Sam!"_

Then it cut off like it'd never happened. Jet lifted his head and looked at Sam who had now bowed his.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Sam muttered but didn't get a chance to wallow in that self pity. Jet wrapped him up in a hug and kissed him. Their lips touched for the first time in too long and Sam could have cried right there.

"You did everything you could, sometimes shit just happens."

"I missed this," Sam smiled quietly and looked around them, they were in the same open space as before, back to the darkness and calm. Jet's body hadn't reformed properly but he could concentrate enough to feel like he might've. "I missed you."

"I know," Jet kissed him again before he let go and stepped away, back to the incorporeal state, "So what was that?"

"It's a memory, your head's full of them and this thing's going to try and scare you so don't listen. Try to ignore what you see," Sam took his hand again and squeezed it, "And don't let go of me."

Jet was hesitant for a second; he watched Sam's face carefully and finally nodded. "You know, I've seen you in here so many times already." He said as Sam led him by the hand, never letting go.

"Did you? What was I doing?"

"You led me deeper and deeper inside myself," Jet smiled sadly, "it was nice, but it was a lie. Each time you were more convincing than the last and then… I just could leave. I couldn't find my way out and I would've been ok if you had stayed. But you didn't. I just had memories of you, so that's what I did. I watched memories."

"Well I'm here now," Sam assured him and squeezed his hand tighter, "I'm never going to leave you again."

Jet nodded and looked at him closer, "What if I left you again?"

"I'd follow."

"What if you couldn't?"

"I wouldn't care, I'd go anyway." Sam turned his gaze back on Jet, "So don't go anywhere I can't go."

Jet turned away once their eyes met, "What if there was no other choice?"

Sam stalled and pulled Jet closer, he watched as his boyfriend's face phased out into particles then reformed as Jet focused on it, "What do you mean? What's going on?" He tried to catch Jet's eye but the other wouldn't look at him. "Jet."

Jet bit his lip and lifted his gaze to see Sam's worried face, "The Imperator knows me, its gotten into every part of my head that it needs to and it knows everything about me. It can hear my thoughts."

"That doesn't matter, we're going to beat him-"

"That also means I can hear its thoughts." Jet interrupted him and Sam shut his mouth, "There's no way to get rid of the Void, there's a reason it was sealed."

Sam furrowed his brow and shook his head, "We'll deal with that later, we need to get you in charge of your body." He insisted on moving forward, "We don't have time, Cas is in big trouble over there."

"Why Cas specifically?"

"He used too much energy to get us both in here," Sam shook his head, "I'm worried about him, I haven't felt anything from his fights in the last few minutes."

Jet let him lead the way again without another protest, the further they went the more the area felt like it was crumbling apart. He cringed and looked at some of the damage being done, "They're destroying my brain, aren't they?"

"Not exactly you're brain, it's more like tearing down your mental walls."

"Oh." Jet made a face at that, "So... when I get control again I'm going to be bombarded by my own head/"

"Something like that? I'm not really sure, sorry." Sam glanced back at him, "But it's a small price to pay for getting yourself together again, right?"

Jet smirked, "I guess so."

The area around them slowly grew to be more damaged, scorched, scarred and generally broken up. Jet figured that maybe he should be worried but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Sam and the others needed him, if only to stop himself from destroying the world.

"There he is." Sam pointed ahead.

Jet followed his gaze and ultimately had no words to speak as he spotted Castiel, the priest was bleeding from the ears, nose, and mouth. Cas was crouched, unable to stand but shooting at something that was having just as much trouble moving as the high priest. Jet realized it was the Imperator, Cas wasn't losing just yet but his winning looked more painful than Jet thought it should have.

"Come on, we need to hurry." Sam tugged at him.

Jet nodded slowly and looked to the outer parts of him, where his mind could pay attention to what happened outside and the real world. He could see Dean; similarly to Castiel he was bleeding and bruised, hurting from a long fight but no less ready to continue. Dean's face pulled in a snarl as he charged his opponent again, knocking Jet down, destroying concentration. Every time the inside monster nearly regained its composure the outer creature in control lost its focus. It was like a tug-of-war between the conscious and sub-conscious minds, and Dean and Cas were somehow on the same side of that rope.

"Jet!" Sam urged him again but he really needed to take it in. They were fighting to save him, to save everyone but they wouldn't just kill him to do it even though it might've been a simpler task. They were risking their lives and the universe to save him? Jet couldn't believe it. In fact it was Sam's plan, it was Sam's plan and it was there to save his life. He followed Sam's lead to get to where he figured his core functions lied. Jet could feel an energy he hadn't felt in a long time, a want and need to live. It created a glow around him and every part of his mind started to stall and slow down.

The Imperator winced and looked to where the strange light was coming from. Horror struck its core when it realized that Jet was there again, that Jet wasn't just loose but now he was present. All of its plans had fallen through, the fail safe to keep the young man trapped in his own happy place gone and Sam Winchester stood at his host's side.

"NO!" The monster screamed and burst forward but Castiel was in the way, just like he always ended up being.

"I don't think so," the priest's voice was shaky as he took another shot at the monster's head and knocked it back again.

Jet's body snapped together like lightning, every separate particle fused to reform his soul the way it was meant to be. "You've over stayed your welcome, Rex." His mouth tugged upward on the left side in a smirk, "Thanks for the ride though."

"You miserable little brat, you don't know what you're dealing with!" The Imperator growled and pushed back. Their surroundings rumbled in the attempt to take control back but Jet stood firm. Again outside Dean shook its focus and the Imperator stumbled. Castiel fired another shot, it couldn't get close enough to Jet to stop him.

"I think you're the one who has no idea." Jet called back, "You think I'm fighting alone?"

The Imperator's face screwed up for a moment but it caught what Jet meant too little too late. A sharp light flashed through Jet's mind as Dean's next exorcism attempt worked its magic. "NO!  **NO!** "

Their immediate area pulsated and froze in place, a dull thundering sound crescendoed until it crashed and tore through the air around them. Sam ran to Castiel's side and held tight to him, protecting the priest as everything was ripped from beneath them.

* * *

**Angel Training World: Part 6**

Dean heaved in another breath as he watched Jet's body convulse and them crumple down to the destroyed ground under him. He waited to withdraw his weapon, eyes fixed on the still form of his best friend as his chest tightened with anxiety.

Moments passed and then he saw at least one thing that made him relax, Castiel and Sam freed themselves from inside Jet's mind. They tumbled out to the ground, Cas' usual grace entirely gone and he lay in the dirt where he'd landed. "Cas?" Dean hurried to his partner's side, "Cas? Are you okay?"

Castiel looked up at him tiredly and nodded, "I'm just… drained." He sighed and leaned his head back again, "I'm sorry I wasn't a better distraction, you look like you've been hit by a freight train."

"You first," Dean smiled and kissed him, taking a few seconds to appreciate the fact that his boyfriend was still alive. "But I'm alright, you did just fine."

Cas' lips pulled up slowly as he took a deep breath and relaxed a little more.

Sam on the other hand rushed to Jet's side, his boyfriend a limp pile of limbs. Sam gently lifted him up into his lap, "Jet? Say something, are you in there? Are you okay?" He watched Jet's face, the calm and unmoving expression showed him nothing to be excited about. Panic gripped him and he involuntarily held his breath.

And then he heard a heartbeat echo. It was loud and for a second he thought he was still in Jet's head, but that couldn't have been true. Sam stiffened and looked up at the other two; Jet's body pulsed in his arms in time with the beat. It was eerie and unnerving, everything about Jet felt wrong and it was starting to scare him. But just as it started it ended. No hint that anything had happened, it just dropped off and went back to how it should have been. Sam swallowed thickly and fought back tears, scared that he'd see the Imperator looking at him again instead of his boyfriend. Scared that Jet was gone forever, that something went wrong.

Dean and Castiel both watched carefully, Dean secretly glad he'd left his makeshift handcuffs in place. But that thought took a back seat to the anxiety growing in him.

Jet's face twitched and his eyes fluttered open, a familiar brown staring up at the young man cradling him.

"Sam…?" Jet's voice tiredly muttered and nearly gave Sam an aneurysm, "Why do you look so freaked out?"

"I just," Sam hiccuped through a sob, he had to cover his mouth and squeeze his eyes shut to stop himself from falling into pieces. Jet was in his arms, Jet was there.  _Jet was there_. "I love you." He wept into his hands and felt one of those strong hands pulling him down.

"I love you too, Sam." Jet smiled and leaned in to kiss him, despite tears and anything else that might've been on his face. Sam fell down against him and held on with all of his strength.

"We did it," he sobbed out a laugh, "We saved you."

Castiel exhaled in relief and closed his eyes, "Thank god…"

Dean couldn't stop the smile on his face as he watched them, "Welcome back Jet."

"Yeah," Jet looked over at Dean exhaustedly, "though did you really have to kick my ass like that? I'm sore, man."

"You were trying to kill me, what do you want?" Dean made a face and lifted a hand in the air as if to say 'what of it?'

"I want a medal," Jet mumbled with a grin, "of honour and shit."

"That'd be mine this time," Sam smirked and kissed him again, "The possessed guy gets no medals."

"Fair enough." Jet replied and was about to return the gesture when his body seized up. His breathing hitched and head fell back, "Something's wrong…" he strained to say and suddenly that odd pulsating came back. It came this time with a force around it, slowly with each wave sending Sam further away. The ground lifted away from Jet's back and he arched mid-air as the force increased and pulsating wave came faster.

"Jet!" Sam cried out to him but couldn't get any closer. He struggled to keep himself grounded let alone take a step forward.

Dean held Cas tightly and did his best to keep them in place, but even he ended up sliding further away from the rippling effect.

The same darkness associated with the Void started to circle around him and pounded with each wave of energy, more and more of it came and soon they couldn't see Jet at all. The only thing they could do was watch the swirling torrent of the Void and wait to see what came of it.


	88. Angel Training: His Choice

_-'For all the lovers and believers, and the ones who've been betrayed'-_

* * *

**Angel Training World: Part 7**

Thick black clouds surrounded Jet's body, bringing with it the feeling of the Void. Sam gasped for air and slipped to his knees, his body was too heavy and nothing wanted to work for him anymore. "Jet…" he wheezed and fell to his face, each pulsing wave pushing him and forcing his body away through the dirt.

Dean gripped Castiel tightly and looked over at his little brother, his stomach turning when he saw the boy face down. "Sammy!" He shouted and dragged himself up, Cas still in his arms, "Sammy I'm coming!" The rippling power washed over them again and again, slamming into their bodies and making Dean stumble and trip on his way to Sam.

Cas had no strength to hold on and when the strongest flood of energy hit them Dean lost his footing. The two tumbled and were sent hurdling, Sam followed not too far behind. Dean tried to keep on his feet, his chest ached and his head felt like it was swimming with the Void's poison. He dug his heels into the ground and used all his strength to run to Cas' side again, Cas was closer. "I've got you," he groaned as he lifted his lover's limp body over his shoulder.

"Sammy!" he called again and snapped his gaze to Sam's new location, the torrential winds blowing his hair and clothes around him like a hurricane. The darkness surrounding Jet expanded with each swell of energy, rhythm like a racing heartbeat it surged over them. Dean carried Castiel to Sam and covered both of them, his back taking the brunt of the force. It continued until he couldn't open his eyes from the pain, keeping his boyfriend and brother on the other side of the onslaught.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped. Dean looked over his shoulder when he realized the pressure behind had ended. He could see Jet suspended mid air as the foggy mist slowly dissipated around him, some of it slipping inside him where it could. Dean's heart pounded, Sam and Castiel both lay unconscious at his feet, and his best friend hung suspended in the air.

As Dean slowly stood up Jet's body dropped from the height it had reached. Instead of falling on his back, however, he landed on his feet. Jet rolled his shoulders and straightened up like he hadn't just gotten the beating of his life, like he could continue as if nothing had happened. The taller male turned his head first, eyes fixed on Dean immediately.

They looked normal, they looked like Jet but Dean didn't dare assume, "Who am I talking to?"

"Still me," Jet replied and Dean exhaled a breath he'd been holding without his say so.

"What the fuck was that?" Dean snapped and gestured to Sam and Castiel, "You beat them unconscious with-"

"You think  _I_  did that?" Jet took a step forward as he barked right back at his best friend, "Like I would've done it on  _purpose_?"

"No, but I want to know what the fuck it was so I can blame something! Cas' too weak for this bullshit."

Jet ground his teeth a bit and looked away, down at himself as he lifted his hands. "I don't know… I can feel it though. I can feel the Void, I can feel…" he trailed off and turned to look at the leveled grounds behind him, the city walls that had fallen and buildings left in pieces. Bodies littered the streets. "The monsters," Jet muttered, his chest slowly rising as he took in a breath and attempted to calmly exhale it.

"What do you mean?" Dean wanted to go to Jet's side but didn't dare step away from Cas and Sam, "You feel the monsters?"

Jet nodded and inhaled again, a long and heavy breath that Dean realized moved the air around him. "I can feel all of it, there are so many worlds stuck in the Void…" he turned around to walk to Dean except the first step he took shook the ground. Jet froze and looked at himself again. "What…?"

"Don't move," Cas groaned as he pushed himself to his knees at the very least, "Something's wrong with you."

Jet looked up, concern in his eyes again. Sam wasn't awake, he could look as scared as he needed to, and his gaze was stuck on Dean.

Dean felt his chest ache, Jet looked at him that way with the vacuo too, that expression that just begged  _save me_.

"What's wrong with me?" Jet asked brokenly and Dean had to bite his lip for a second, his brow pushed up as he shook his head.

"I don't know, man. Calm down though, we'll figure it out." Dean tried to smile at him but had to turn toward Cas, "Are you alright?" He asked and helped his partner to his feet.

"I've been better, I've also been worse." Castiel responded somewhat bitterly, "But can you feel that? Jet feels almost the same as before."

"No?" Dean shook his head, "I thought the Imperator was still here."

"Exactly," Cas looked at him and Dean caught his serious expression like a fucking cold. Castiel held the same look when he'd said he had to kill the host of the demoni. "When you exorcised Sam that last time, do you remember what happened to the demoni?"

"It ended up in full form on the lawn…" Dean looked around them for something, a strange body, anything. "Where is it?"

"Again, exactly." Castiel turned his gaze to Jet who was looking between them quickly, not sure who to focus on. "It didn't come out."

"It's still in me?" Jet choked, his hand placed over his chest.

"No," Cas shook his head, "Not exactly. I think it  _is you_."

Jet slowly raised his eyebrows as Cas' words sunk in, his gaze drifted down to where Sam remained still aside from the motion of his hair in the slight breeze. "What does that mean?"

"I don't really know," Cas stood as straight as he could though Dean's support was entirely necessary. "But it seems the Void… listens to you. You've taken the Imperator's place."

Jet pushed his hand into his hair and pulled it back, only for it to drop back over his forehead seamlessly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling, the power in him was new and there wasn't a way to get it out. It was part of him now, it  _was_  him. "Rex and I saw a lot of one another when he was taking over, he obviously knew a lot more about the Void than I did."

"Obviously," Dean laughed half-heartedly, "Why do you call him Rex, anyway?"

"That's how he introduced himself." Jet shrugged, "But my point is I learned something, the Void can't be stopped the way we've been doing it. It has to be sealed again."

Castiel and Dean looked at one another, neither sure what to say. "We don't know how." Dean turned back to Jet, not liking the distance between them. It was like a forced fissure, even though Jet was back he was still out of reach. "Did the Imperator tell you?"

"Sort of," Jet laughed and shook his head with a heavy sigh, "I know how to do it, but whoever does stays with it. If I go I'm not coming back." His words hung heavily in the air.

Sam moaned and pushed himself up, a little out of it for a few seconds before his mind filled him in. "Jet?" He snapped his head up to look at his boyfriend who smiled in return. He didn't have time to really take in Jet's expression, all his mind could comprehend was the fact that Jet was standing there.

"Hey Sam,"

Sam forced himself to stand and ran forward a few steps before Dean caught his arm. "Wait a second," Dean warned as calmly as possible but Sam tugged at his brother's grip.

"Why?" He frowned and looked over at Jet who just shrugged again.

"I'm not safe."

"Bullshit." Sam tore away from Dean and ran to hug the man he'd been missing for too long. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jet's shoulders as he captured his boyfriend's lips. Dean and Castiel both swallowed hard as they expected the worst, but nothing happened. Jet carefully placed his hands on Sam's hips and around his lower back, his jaw moved perfectly in time with Sam's.

Cas relaxed when he was satisfied that nothing would happen between them and leaned his head against Dean's shoulder, "So what do we do now? Jet's the new king of the Void." He spoke softly and glanced up at his partner.

"I don't know…" Dean bit his lip and sighed, "I mean I know but I don't want that to happen."

Cas nodded quietly, "I can't think of anyone else that could do it."

"He's the one that knows how and, I mean he's part of it now." It hurt Dean to say it. "Jet's literally the only one that makes sense to do it."

Sam leaned back once he felt stable enough to do so, the smile on his lips slowly slipped away from him as he finally took in Jet's expression. "Why do you look like you're about to leave again?" He asked anxiously, his hands digging into Jet's shirt.

Jet glanced down as he bit gently on the corner of his cheek, "It's because I might have to."

Sam's face went pale and no words came to his mind, all he could do was stare at Jet's face and hope he was kidding. "No, you can't. I just got you back." He leaned his head down against Jet's shoulder, "Why do you have to go?" He whispered as strongly as he could but his voice still broke.

Jet hugged him close and angled his mouth close to Sam's ear, "To keep you safe, like I promised."

Sam held tighter, his nails dug into skin as his body trembled, "What are you going to do?"

"The Void needs to be sealed or the priests will be doing this forever and slowly losing that fight." Jet kissed his cheek and pulled back to see Sam better. He lifted his hand and cupped his boyfriend's face carefully, each movement was tricky but with Sam's life at stake he didn't have time to struggle with it. "Whoever does the job is sealed with it."

"And why is that you?" Sam snapped and hit Jet with a balled fist, "Why do you have to do it? You're just a guy; you're just like me. We're not priests, we're not supposed to be doing this!"

Jet caressed Sam's cheek and shook his head again, "I'm not just a guy anymore, Sam. The Imperator didn't leave me, he  _is_  me now. The Void needed a new leader and who better than the old king's host?" He leaned forward so their foreheads were touching, his voice was low and Sam thought that every word uttered would break him in two. "I'm part of the Void now, Sam. When it gets sealed I go with it regardless, I might as well be the only one that goes down with that ship."

"You self-sacrificing asshole," Sam muttered through fresh tears, he kissed Jet again, holding the warm embrace for as long as he could without his sobs breaking it. He could barely breathe as Jet held him, one of Jet's hands pet through his hair while the other arm was unmoving around his torso. Sam couldn't stand it, his face pressed against Jet's chest and soaking it through. "You can't go," he wheezed out the words, as his breathing grew shallower and sharper he gasped, "I love you, you can't go."

Jet's jaw tightened as he clenched it, Sam felt something drip onto his head and he looked up. Jet's eyes were just as wet as his own, his lower lip failing to keep stiff as it quivered, "I love you too," he whispered painfully and kissed Sam again, the taste of salt shared between them. "More than anything, Sam, I love you." He sniffled once and exhaled shakily, "If hating me for this helps you through this then, please…" He didn't finish the sentence and Sam didn't want him to.

Dean and Castiel approached them, the latter more sturdy on his feet now than before. Dean placed a hand on Jet's shoulder and gave it a squeeze; there weren't words he knew how to share at that moment.

Cas did the same with Sam, "We should head back to the mainline."

"The sooner it's sealed the sooner the priests can stop dying," Jet nodded but hesitated to let go of Sam, "I get it… we should go."

The portal opened and they all stepped through, it didn't matter that the other priests were still inside, they'd find their way back out once everything settled.

* * *

_-'To all the fighters, all the dreamers, and the ones who've not been saved.'-_

* * *

**Mainline**

Cas looked away and grit his teeth, anger swelling in him, "This… this isn't fair to you." He turned back and clenched a fist, "You aren't part of this, Dean and I were the ones meant to seal this thing away. We're the ones everyone's been talking about, it should be a priest that suffers this!"

"You've spent centuries alone, Castiel." Jet snapped back, "You've done nothing but suffering with the vague promise of a life to go home to as a reward. You  _finally_  meet Dean, your partner, you fall in love again, and you heal. But because some goddamn destiny says so it has to be you that takes this on?" His lip pulled upward in a snarl as he spoke, Sam could feel the power surge inside him. "Like I fucking said, when this thing gets sealed up  _I'm going to be sealed with it._  It doesn't make any fucking sense to send you two if I'm already going."

Dean rubbed his shoulder; he'd never lifted his hand. "Jet, calm down. Cas just thinks it's unfair."

"It's all unfair." Jet nearly shouted but Dean knew his yelling voice enough to know that wasn't it. "You and Cas had to do this crazy bullshit to save the world, no choice involved. Sam and I didn't have to go but no matter what would happen, in any scenario, he loses someone he loves. And I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong goddamn time. Trust me, I know it's unfair. But Cas," he looked at the high priest seriously, "You can't spend the rest of your life thinking that. You and Dean weren't ever alone; Sam and I were right along with you, which means this kind of shit happening to us is just as likely. Don't give me that 'only a priest' bullshit, okay?" His expression softened as he uttered the last word, his mouth feeling dry as he said it.

Castiel nodded and ran his hand over his eyes, wiping at the tears that started there. "I'm so sorry, Jet."

Jet smiled a little and went to give Cas a hug, "It's okay," he gave the priest a good squeeze and a pat on the back, "You said when this all started not to come crying to you about this kind of thing, right? It's not your fault."

Dean went to Jet next and hugged him tight; they didn't let go for several moments, too scared to. Their cheeks were touching and Jet felt the slip of a tear out of Dean's eye, he choked out a laugh but it only led to a sob escaping him. "I'm glad I could see you guys again," Jet whispered.

"Yeah," Dean swallowed past the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, man."

"It wasn't on you to save me, that's my job." Jet reached up and ruffled Dean's hair playfully as he pulled back, a smile on his face. "Your job is to take care of Sam, like always."

"Jet," Sam exhaled heavily and tried to steady himself but tears fell freely and he had nothing left in him anymore. Strength was fleeting and he didn't know what to say, "What do I do without you?"

Jet walked up to Sam again and held him the way he'd done previously, their eyes fixed on one another as if it'd be the last time, and it just as well might be. "You do what you have to. Scream, cry, break down if you need to but one of these days you'll have to get over me."

Sam slowly shook his head, "I can't,"

"You can do anything, I've seen it." Jet leaned up and kissed his forehead, "Don't forget me, but don't get stuck."

"Jet-" Sam pulled him down into another proper kiss, holding him there stubbornly. "Don't go?" He asked one more time in the hopes that maybe it'd work, that it'd change something.

But Jet only smiled at him, that smile he loved so much. "I love you." Those were the last words Sam heard Jet say before he was thrown Dean's way. He watched with wide and horrified eyes as Jet leapt off the side of the mainline.

Sam didn't have it in him to scream again, he'd called Jet's name over and over in the last while and now it just hurt too much to say it anymore. Nothing happened for several seconds but when it did they noticed. The darkness surrounding the worlds and engulfing even the mainline itself receded, sucked back down into the depths below, far away from them. Every world that had fallen into it slowly began to right themselves as the blackness seeped from their cracks like blood through a wound.

In moments the other priests stepped onto the mainline, all around them people in blue coats appeared. But those three barely saw them; Dean closed his eyes and lowered his head, his hands lifting from holding Sam down. Castiel went to the brothers and hugged them both, tears streaking all of their cheeks, "We tried." Cas muttered to them but instead of replying all they could do was weep.

* * *

_-'Don't lose your faith; I know you're right. Don't be scared of being lonely.'-_


	89. Chapter 89

**Mainline**

Castiel stood at the edge of the road alone, his eyes scanning the horizon and how bright it looked in comparison to the thousands of times he'd looked in his past. He'd stopped caring what it looked like a long time ago but now he couldn't look away. The broken worlds were slowly repairing themselves, some had even re-attached to the mainline. Many priests went home once they were able, all sat and waited until their home world had returned.

The only ones left were all the Winchesters, and Michael and Gabriel. "Why don't you two go home?" Sam looked at Gabriel tiredly.

"Ours didn't make it," Gabriel shrugged, "I don't think it's repairable either so… I don't know, I guess we're waiting to see if you guys'll let us come with you." The impish guy grinned up at Sam and for a moment Sam thought maybe he understood why so many other hims ended up with Gabriels.

But it wasn't good enough, not right then.

Dean walked up to Cas' side and took his hand, "We should get going," he leaned over and kissed his partner's cheek, "It's over."

"Something about this bothers me," Cas shook his head and looked down to where they'd last seen their friend jump. "You and I were the ones meant to stop the Void…."

"Says a bunch of crazy spooks with destiny-boners. It's stopped, we were there but Jet's the one that did it, who cares? It's over."

"No," Cas pulled away and walked along the edge, "No there's something else, we shouldn't be priests anymore. We should be normal human beings now but we're  _not_. We're still exactly the same, which makes me think something's wrong."

Sam pulled himself up and went to Dean's side, "What else can you do, Cas? The Void is sealed, it's done."

"There should be something else." Cas snapped and ran his hands into his hair, pulling back his scalp a little as he tugged.

As he paced something around him fluttered and started to glow. It was coming from the worlds that were home to different priests; streams of energy flooded out and surrounded both Dean and Castiel. Sam stepped away but quickly realized that Michael, Gabriel, and both his parents had started to glow the same way, except the energy was leaving their bodies and closed in on Dean and Cas.

The two reached for one another unconsciously, hands grasping as the surge of power went from their heads down to their toes. It became too bright for Sam to see anymore and he had to cover his eyes, he could hear it happening but had no idea what to define it as. Dean and Cas were absorbing the strength of all the other priests, that was his best guess.

And just as it had started it stopped, like so many other things. Sam lifted his head as he felt the strength of both Dean and Castiel together, it was overwhelming and made his body feel weaker. "Dean?" Sam managed the name as he blinked a few times at the two who seemed to be otherworldly for the first time since it'd all began. "Cas?"

Dean was the first one to give him attention, his eyes looked as surprised as Sam felt, it was a relief to know that Dean was still him. Castiel on the other hand took a deep breath and leaned his head back, letting the new feeling course through him for a few seconds, "This," he said and looked at Dean with a half smirk, "is what I was talking about.  _It is possible_."

Dean watched Cas' excitement light up his eyes and smiled back, "What's your plan, Cas?"

"Just let it do what it's meant to, come on." Castiel took his hand and Dean followed him, like he'd followed Cas into so many other things without knowing a damn thing. Castiel would always be better at just letting go, letting the magic flow in him like it was its own sentient being.

Cas looked at Sam and gave him a quick nod, "We'll be right back, okay?"

Sam had nothing he could say so he just returned the nod and watched as Dean and Castiel leapt off the mainline, just like Jet had done some hours before. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh that Mary quickly went to relieve. She wrapped her boy up in a hug and kissed his cheek, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart." She whispered and he nodded again, words caught in his throat.

* * *

Dean felt his stomach jump into his throat as he fell, the sensation scaring him shitless. No amount of strength or power would change his fear of flying, and this wasn't even flying, he was  _falling._  "Cas! What's your plan!?" He asked again, this time more frantically.

Castiel reached out ahead of them and a flash of light burst forward. Dean flinched when he felt their momentum jerk a little, like an elevator that reached its floor. And then he realized they weren't moving anymore, his feet touched down on a solid surface while his legs nearly buckled under him. Dean's breathing managed to catch up with him as he inhaled shakily, the strange feeling around him was unsettling. They stood in the deepest core of the Void, he could see monsters frozen in place like they were statues, nothing moved and it was the eeriest thing he'd ever seen.

"This is what I was talking about," Castiel said again as his eyes started to glow, the air around his body vibrated to life and reverberated throughout the Void. "Dean you know what to do, go find him."

Dean's eyes lit up and he looked around quickly, they couldn't have been far off from the Void's core because his best friend was the center of it all. Dean bolted in a direction he didn't understand at first, his instincts had pulled him that way; his senses said go there so he did. Dean wasn't sure there was ever a way to understand the powers that a priest held, each one had been different and he and Castiel were even exceptions to those rules.

There were all kinds of creatures around him, some he recognized and some he had no idea about, but what mattered was that they all faced the same way. Each one angled toward the center and Dean made quick work of hopping over the ones in his way until he reached the still form of his best friend. Jet's body looked relaxed, his eyes were open and his face held a determined expression as he seemed to be looking up toward the mainline. His jaw was tilted upward and that simple fact made Dean's eyes water, Jet would never angle his head down in submission and that was worth a smile.

"Hey man," Dean sighed and reached out to grab Jet's shoulders, "You're not going to get that 'sealed away for eternity' ending you were planning on, I can't let you do that to my brother."

Dean watched the magic unfold without even having to try; he watched life return to wherever his hands touched. Jet's shoulders shifted loosely and Dean couldn't describe the rush of joy that spread through him.

He drifted his hands all the way down his friend's arms, sides, and legs, the energy spread from his touch and soon Jet stood before him, blinking in confusion.

"What just…" he looked around and flinched first at the sight of all the monsters angled his way, "what did you do?"

"Sam asked me to get you home to him, you know I couldn't let him down." Dean grinned and practically jumped onto Jet in a hug, squeezing his shoulders and even nuzzling his cheek a bit. "You're staying this time."

Jet hugged him back and let his head rest against Dean's, "I still don't quite get what you just did?"

"Not quite sure," Dean pulled away with a shrug and clapped his hand on Jet's shoulder, "Cas and I are carrying the strength of all the priests, it's time to take the Void out."

"Then we'd better get the fuck out of here before Cas blows us up." Jet smirked.

* * *

Castiel took a shallow breath as the world around him pulsed, the Void's life rushed to him like he were some kind of savior. And in one motion from his arms it was gone, the same force burst outward again in an explosion. In its wake it left desolation of the darkest world, monsters evaporated into nothing and the thick fog was washed away. The flow of energy was like a wave constantly rippling out from one surge after another. It reached further and further out until Castiel felt his own energy leave him; it was a sudden drain and threw him off his power high.

The following moments rushed by like some kind of dream, the mainline above disappeared. Cas felt his body like it was something else, like it wasn't his and he had no control over it. He knew the sensation of running through a portal, of drifting through time and space to another world, but somehow it didn't match up this time. Castiel cried out without his permission, his heart stuttered and all he could think of was his family.

But he didn't have to worry too long, he felt arms wrap around him moments after and he didn't need another second to realize who it was. Cas turned and buried his face into Dean's chest, fingers digging into his coat for dear life.

The dizzying rush didn't last very long, in fact their feet were on solid ground before Dean could properly hold Cas in return. A gentle breeze met their skin and smelled familiar, Dean lifted his gaze to look at the lawn he'd known, the house he and Sam lived in and had left so long ago. They were home.

Sam had covered his head during the awful sensation and felt arms around him as he had before, he thought they were Mary's, that the scent of his boyfriend was a sick joke played by his mind. But when Sam lifted his gaze he once again couldn't breathe.

"Jet?" He asked and felt ill with the thought that he could be imagining him.

"Hey," Jet grinned and leaned down to kiss Sam again, this time he had no reason to let go.

Michael looked at Gabriel and they both had to laugh, somehow they'd made it to the end and even with their homes destroyed they had somewhere to go. Gabriel gave his partner a solid hug, a cheer on the verge from exploding out of his lungs.

John took Mary's hand and took a deep breath, "Feels good to be home," he said with laugh.

"Just imagine The Harvelle's faces when we pop up again," Mary smirked and kissed her husband's cheek.

"Imagine what Christmas dinner's gonna be like, I feel like we should have one of those right now."

"Why not?" Cas took Dean's hand in his, "We should celebrate."

"I have a celebration in mind," Dean grinned and caught Castiel's lips with his, tucking his partner in close to him as they made out. It was warm and welcoming; Cas melted against Dean and let himself forget everything. He could finally relax, he could forget without a consequence.

"I love you," Cas whispered and rested his forehead against Dean's, their smiles only widening the longer they looked at each other.

"I love you too, Cas." Dean cradled Cas' face in his hand, his thumb smoothing over his lover's cheek, "Will you stay with me?"

"Forever."

"Ow! Sorry! I said I was sorry!" Jet yelped and shielded himself from Sam's fists as they beat on him.

"Don't you ever leave me like that again, you dick!" Sam shouted at him as his blows slowed down and Jet managed to get in close again. Sam's head dropped against Jet's shoulder and a shuddered sigh escaped him. "Don't go…"

"I'm here to stay," Jet whispered and kissed Sam's cheek, "Thanks to Dean; he came through like he always does."

Sam smiled and looked over at his older brother who couldn't help but look with the commotion, "Thanks for saving him, Dean."

"I couldn't let you down, Sammy." Dean grinned and looked down at Cas who watched Sam with endearment. "We all made it," Dean laughed and kissed Castiel again, "We're all back, safe and sound."

"With a few extras," Gabriel added and Sam nodded.

"Welcome to the family, guys."

"Don't get too friendly though," Jet warned the shorter male and all the others could do was laugh. Cas pulled Dean over to Sam and Jet and forced a group hug on them.

"I love you guys." He gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek, Sam blushed a bit and laughed.

"Love you too, Cas."

Jet smirked and looked at Dean, the two bumped fists, a sort of welcome back.

* * *

_Some days later…_

**Aeterna**

Castiel balanced a container of mashed potatoes on top of a lidded pot of meatballs, oven mitts still on his hands as he casually attempted to walk to the living room without dropping everything. Dean snorted out a laugh and took the top container from his boyfriend, leaving Cas with a lighter load and a kiss on his cheek. "Got enough there?"

"No, you guys eat like pigs." Cas retorted with a smile.

"Out of the way, important shit coming through." Jet called as he passed them by with a big oven roaster in his hands.

"Yeah, gotta move for that turkey," Dean smirked and Jet glanced back at him.

"You better be talking 'bout the bird, bro."

"Only if you are."

"Guys," Sam called from the dining room, "table's set and we're all hungry, hurry up!"

"Shut it," Jet nudged him playfully before putting the roaster down. Sam nudged back, a little harder but no less cheerful.

They had a long table ready and set up for a big family feast. John and Mary sat waiting, Mary barely able to stay sitting. She wanted to help her kids out but they insisted on being the ones to treat everyone. Michael and Gabriel didn't complain much, if they didn't have to work then they didn't care.

"So it's been a few days," John looked at the other ex-priests, mostly Michael because he seemed to be the more mature one, "How're you coping with normal life?"

"It's weird," Michael admitted with a laugh, "I had to remember how to make a resume, get used to the way this world does things, I'm just glad we're all helping each other out. I think we forgot how money and currency works."

Gabriel rolled his eyes, "Tell me about it, it's kind of a pain in the ass."

Sam kept his smile to himself, "Dean, Jet, and I have been doing this a whole lot less than you guys. We were in the end stretch there but you've all been in it longer than Cas, right? That means it's been ages."

"Time works differently out there," Mary reminded him, "John and I have only been away from you boys a few decades but in the swing of things it's been so much longer."

Cas and Dean put their items down, the last dishes to reach the table. "I for one am glad it's over," Cas grinned up at them all, "I missed waking up next to my significant other."

Dean kissed him quickly and dropped into his seat, "So who's serving?"

"The chosen ones," Gabriel raised his hands to gesture toward them, "naturally."

"Naturally," Castiel rolled his eyes and stood up, "First I'd like to thank you all," he lifted his glass to the table of men and Mary. "You've all sacrificed something to share in the peace we have today, you've believed in us when we had no idea what we were doing, and you supported us when we needed you. I'm glad I could fight with all of you at my side, thank you everyone. You should all be proud."

They raised their glasses in cheers; the era of fighting was over. It was time to live.

* * *

 


	90. Index

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I thought I'd include an index of what I was taking note of while writing this (for a year straight holy shit never done that before). There are some of the names of things included here and the translations. For monsters it was 'how to kill it' and descriptions and stuff like that. Not sure if any of you are interested in this but here it is all the same for those who'd like to read it.
> 
> Remember to read the Epilogue if you haven't yet! Please comment/give kudos, tell me what you thought of this story (at any time, I don't care if it's been three years).
> 
> And thanks again to my supporters, you guys have been amazing and I hope everything goes well for all of you!

Castiel's Spell:

**From Chapter 3:** (very destructive)Ad ulciscendam deiecta, ego mitto vos retro. Ego ad Deum clamant. 'Da mihi fortitudo.' Contritio mea controlare. Ego mitto vos retro.

English translation: Was thrown down to take revenge, I will send you back. I cry out to God. 'Give me strength.' Ruin my control. I send you back.

* * *

Worlds:

In Somniantes - The dreamers, the dreaming - Castiel's World

Aeterna - eternal - Dean, Sam, and Jet's world

Futurum - world with future seeing capabilities

The Rift

Catches you as you pass through portals to worlds. To get out you have to listen to all of its commands until it's satisfied with you. If you fail to do so it throws you into the Void

* * *

Void Monsters Mentioned (in alphabetical order):

**aer**  ( _air,ether, mist_ )- slowly mess up the timeline of a dimension the longer they're present. They have a hive-mind and often find one thing worth pursuing and chase it

cloud-like monsters that are nearly physically harmless, even in large numbers.

How to Kill: with an incantation after baiting them (with the thing they are pursuing) to a certain place.

 **anima**  ( _soul, breath, heart_ ) - gets into an injured/unconscious person's mind easiest. They disconnect the soul and mind from the body and trap it inside. Feed off memories and feelings. Stronger memories and feelings will make disruptions in the mind and the disconnected person will be able to see them flash by. Once the anima has had its fill of a person, it drains everything, compacts and crushes it into its boneless and shapeless form.

 **demoni** **(** _demon_ **)** _ **-**_ there are different levels of power, the ones that have evolved further are able to possess people

Demon-like monsters, can be very large. Possess a human body in order to save their life or just for fun.

Possession: If body is possessed when demoni is weakened and dying it takes a while for the demoni to wake up. Close to waking the human acts aggressively. Once awake the human goes insane and tries to kill the people closest to them.

When they are exorcised they take their first form again except they are far weaker now than before.

How to kill them: with a High Priest weapon (if they are possessing a body just kill the host and the monster dies too) - can be exorcised.

 **domus**  ( _home, house, residence, abode_ ) - a shadowy creature that tends to possess a building and reside in one room. When someone stays in the room they're occupying, over night they take them into their 'realm'.

The victim, to escape, must then go through their worst fears and beat them. The more victims there are the harder it is to get through the fears. Only one person needs to do this and once it's done they are in too much shock to move. The exit that appears is temporary.

To kill it: Use a certain spell that vaporizes it. This only works once it's weakened.

 **gigas**  ( _giant_ ) - size of a small mountain - red eyes too small for its face, has the complexion and coloration as mountain side would, has a large mouth - can unhinge its jaw. Outer layer of skin is like a mountain but can be cracked off with enough force leaving a weaker skin below.

Purely physical - it's magic resistant

How to Kill: Physical attacks - best with a High Priest weapon

 **pede**  ( _corrosion_ ) - a lizard-type creature with a short snout and long, jagged, crooked teeth. It's saliva is highly corrosive to touch and melts through just about anything before it evaporates

How to Kill - physical or magical is fine, it's not a high powered creature

 **raptoribus**  ( _rapist, reaver, abductor_ )- destruction for destruction's sake.

reaver-like monster. Large, physically powerful, fast, tough to take down. Very perceptive, great hearing, once they know a person is there they won't stop until they catch them. Once their prey is caught they do  _everything_  to the body.

How to Kill: High Priest weapon, higher level spells

 **REX IMPERATOR**  ( _king, commander/warlord_ ) - The king of the Void

 **spiritus**  ( _ghost_ ) - Intelligent, they can speak. They appear as shadow people and have the power to possess. They cannot physically harm anything however they are able to use the body they possess to do as they please. Spiritus are easy to dispel if the host is self-aware, hosts can free themselves if this is true. Priests need only shout a spell at them in the case of an unaware individual.

 **vacuo**   _(vacuum) -_ large monster that's mostly composed of a giant mouth with lots of teeth. It's one of the different monsters that gives off an energy, it has a direct link to the Void. It lies dormant for a while, wherever it hides that space becomes inhabitable. Thoughts of suicide and loss of the will to live occur, people either abandon the area or they die in it. When the vacuo wakes it starts to suck in the surrounding area (at least a football field size). It has a one-use technique where it lets out a force field that is part of its physical body. This force field is meant to keep its prey inside the vacuum zone as it sucks all surrounding life into the deepest parts of the Void

 **vermis**  ( _worm, maggot, grub_ ) - giant worm-like thing with tiny legs. It lives underground, makes a system and labyrinth of tunnels where it hides food in different open pockets. It is carnivorous but has no ability to chew therefore it swallows its prey whole to coat it in a slime that it then spits out again. The slime softens up the food so the vermis can digest it. Note: The slime is luminous

How to kill: magic or physical attacks (physical attacks have to be one-shot kills otherwise the vermis will regenerate)

How to Kill in mass numbers: magical blastwave into one of the tunnels


End file.
